


Avatar: The First Balance

by KestraEchoWolf



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Airbending, Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Cat!Adrien, Curious Kitten, Drowning, Earthbending, F/M, Firebending, Headcanon, Headcanon Accepted, Marinette takes no shit, Mystery, New warning applies, Protective Chat Noir, Romance, Secret Identity, TWO Avatars, Waterbending, depictions of violence, energybending, more tags to come, what have I created?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-14
Updated: 2017-11-27
Packaged: 2018-08-30 17:19:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8541964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KestraEchoWolf/pseuds/KestraEchoWolf
Summary: Marinette Dupain-Cheng is *NOT* the Avatar! She's not!Sure she can bend all the elements... but that *DOES NOT* make her the Avatar! Because there already is an Avatar born to the world by the name of Cat Noir!"The Avatar's legacy never ended when Avatar Korra lost her connection to her past lives... she became a new branch of the tree; a branch that either you or Cat Noir grew from... perhaps both of you? It still remains to be seen. But one thing is clear, Marinette when Hawk Moth appeared you and Cat Noir were born to be his counterbalance."





	1. Meeting the Avatar

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah... so... HEADCANON AHOY! Let's see where this ship sails, shall we?

Marinette took a breath to calm her heartbeat as she checked herself over one more time. Her raven black hair was brushed and clean, hanging down her back in loose waves.Her uniform was pressed and clean; sandals brushed immaculately to rid any dirt in the weavings. Her silver badge was pinned securely to her chest over her heart, signifying her rank as Crown Princess Alya's personal guard. Her lucky charm bracelet, a gift from her mother, shimmered softly in the firelight before the thrones. Tikki remained comfortably wound around her neck, almost appearing to be a heavy ruby and onyx instead of a merdragon. Nothing was out of place.  _Just keep calm,_ she chanted to herself.  _Keep control of your bending and this visit will go as smooth as a sky bison in flight._

"Will you stop fidgeting?" Alya's whisper cut through to her ears. Sky blue eyes met warm amber instantly. "You're making me nervous."

Marinette whispered back an apology and noted her charge's posture. While Alya looked calm and refined on the outside, she was truly  _very_ nervous at this meeting. Her hands were folded in her lap, just like her mother, Fire Lord Marlena, but her nails were digging deep into the flesh of her palms. She was also tapping her foot subtly underneath her skirts. Alya motioned for Marinette to come closer. The guard bent, positioning herself, so her ear was close enough for the princess to speak.

"You will not bail on me," she warned. "If I have to endure this, so do you." Technically speaking, Marinette didn't; but she refrained from saying so. She wasn't a Fire Nation noble... she wasn't even native Fire Nation to start with! But here she was, a guard working in the palace in the service to the crown... waiting to greet one of the most influential people in the world and the source of her greatest fear; the Avatar.

The actual embodiment of all the elements.

Elements that Marinette, herself, somehow also controlled.

Alya's face softened, "Are you sure you can keep control?"

Marinette blushed, "I will." Her mind flashed back to her memories of her childhood.

_Master Fu sat before her, legs crossed with his hands on his knees in a lotus position. "Never say 'I should, could or try.' That alone leaves room for error, young Avatar."_

_Marinette, age eight, made a face. "But I'm_ not _the Avatar," she told her teacher. "The Avatar was born an Air Nomad since Avatar Felix was born in the Fire Nation. Since he was born before me, he's the Avatar... and I'm from the Norther Water Tribe."_

_Master Fu only smiled softly at her. His pupil was bright, much like the flames that warmed his iglu. She would understand in time. "When you set your mind to a path, you must go forward with your whole heart. By stating, 'I will,' your work will never stray. Do you understand young one?"_

_Marinette thought about it for a moment before answering, "Yes Master Fu."_

_"Magnificent."_

_I wish he were here now,_ she thought. Tikki twitched around her neck, hearing the word 'control' from Alya. The merdragon peered out from her hiding place and gently nuzzled Marinette's cheek and let out a gentle purr. Marinette smiled and stroked her friend's snout in gratitude. Taking a deep breath, she began to center herself.  _I will only use firebending. I will only use one element, and everything will be okay. What no one sees, no one knows._

Suddenly her powers sizzled under her skin as an acute awareness struck her. Taking a moment to glance around and ensure she wasn't being watched, she raised one foot and carefully slipped off her sandal. Alya's amber eyes flicked her way and arched an eyebrow in question. Marinette closed her eyes and swiftly brought her bare foot down on the marble floor.

_Instantly her mind's eye filled with ripples of silver vibrations that gave shape to her dark vision. It took time for the waves to fill the whole throne room before moving onto the rest of the castle. Servants, merchants, soldiers and scholars all became bathed in the subtle vibrations of her earthbending. Some shapes became fuzzy as other, outside vibrations distorted her own. She followed her ripples outside of the palace where gardeners were tending the palace grounds and animal caretakers minded the eelhounds, ostrich horses, phoenixes and other animals in residence._

_Finally, she found the source of her disturbance. There were new arrivals on the palace grounds and moving fast. One stood out to her immediately. His feet were light, like how an airbender would walk, but they were heavy enough to cause vibrations in the ground to touch her own. A large animal accompanied him, a lioneagle she guessed. Walking on his other side was another human companion that felt like an earthbender to her. Satisfied, she began to allow the vision to disintegrate when something changed. Emerald green eyes appeared in her black and silver world and snapped in her direction. She gasped, startled, and wondered if he was seeing her_ right this second. _When they made eye contact, she broke the vision and returned her mind to the present._

Tikki chirped as her perch hurriedly slipped the sandal back on her foot. Alya turned, hearing the merdragon's signal. "Marinette?"

"He has arrived your highness," she announced softly.

Just as she said this, a message runner had appeared at the door of the throne room to announce the same thing. Fire Lord Marlena glanced back at her daughter's guard with matching wary eyes. "Send him in," she commanded.

Marinette took the time to focus on her senses. She had to get a hold of herself! She forced back her bond to all the elements except one. She reached out to the fire before the thrones and felt their energy. It was wild and untamed and hungry. But it would bend to her will. She took a breath and focused, pulling the fire's essence into herself and filling every nook of her being with it until she felt like an actual firebender.  _I will only firebend,_ she told herself.  _No one will be the wiser. I will not insult the Avatar by claiming the same abilities he has a born right to. I am only a firebender._

"Presenting, his Excellency Avatar Cat Noir."

When she opened her eyes, sky blue immediately connected with familiar green irises that were rimmed with a night black mask. Marinette's mind had frozen for a brief, silent second before realization hit her like a lightning bolt. She  _knew_ those eyes.

Her mind flashed back to earlier that morning when the akuma appeared and started a panic in the city... a blond airbender clothed in a skin-tight black suit fell from the sky. This was the  _same_ blond airbender she had saved with her rash of freak airbending!  _No... no way. I can't be that unlucky. This can't be the Avatar! Perhaps he's this strange person's companion?_

"Welcome to the Imperial Palace, Avatar Cat Noir," Fire Lord Marlena greeted formally. The masked man smiled and bowed. The firelight shifted subtly, revealing the pale airbender master tattoos that wound up his arms and disappeared off of his bare shoulders and into his suit. When he straightened, it seemed as if the flames also changed their posture and stood straight again. However, the newly named Avatar's eyes strayed to the blue-eyed guard. His smile stretched wider, "It's always a pleasure to visit the Fire Nation, Fire Lord Marlena."

 _Yes, my luck_ can _be that bad. Great going Marinette Dupain-Cheng! You're screwed!_

* * *

_Evening, Fire Nation Imperial Palace_

* * *

After the initial meeting, Marinette made sure to make herself as scarce as possible. The fact that she was trying to pass as a true firebender when the Avatar himself witnessed her airbending made things ten times more complicated!

 _But I_ was _wearing a mask too,_ she reasoned weakly.  _There's still a chance he doesn't recognize me._ She sighed softly as she watched her merdragon dance and play with the waves and tide pools. She envied Tikki's carefree nature. Abandoning her sandals higher up on the beach, she moved closer to the waves towards the merdragon. "What do you think Tikki?"

The crimson and onyx water dragon paused and turned to look at her with gleaming amethyst eyes. "About what?"

"The Avatar... Cat Noir. Do... do you think he'll recognize me?"

Tikki splashed over to her friend and leaped lightly onto Marinette's shoulder. "I believe you 're worrying over nothing," she told the raven-haired bender. "You are like the Avatar too, right? Perhaps it's your destiny to work together?"

"But the Avatar is the embodiment of balance and harmony," Marinette stressed. "I'm lucky if I can balance a tray of tea cups without breaking anything."

"You embody balance and harmony too. Is it such a bad thing for you to be the Avatar as well?"

Marinette immediately bristled and looked her merdragon square in the eye. "Since the beginning, there has only been  _one_ Avatar, and there is one--  _him._ He was born first. I'm... I'm an anomaly, a freak of nature."

Tikki sighed softly, breathing a small stream of smoke from her nostrils in frustration. She jumped off Marinette's shoulder and walked gracefully to one of the tide pools. "Come here and look at this." Marinette obeyed and stopped beside the merdragon. Tikki looked up at her, "What do you see?"

Marinette craned her neck to look into the pool. "The full moon?"

Tikki nodded, "Do you remember Tui and La?" Marinette nodded. Tikki touched a claw into the water, causing the scene to ripple and magic to fill the pool. After a moment, Tui and La appeared in the image. "Push, pull, yin, yang, fall, spring, summer, winter, day, night... all have balance. Tui and La taught us this in the very beginning. For every power, there is a counter. For thousands of years, the Avatar has managed this balance very well and maintained order. However, there is a disruption in the balance since Avatar Korra's break from the traditional paths of the Avatar."

Marinette frowned, "I don't understand."

Tikki shook her head, "The Spirit Word and the Physical World both coexist again, though the balance between the two is very tenuous. I don't find it a coincidence that  _two_ Avatars have been born in this lifetime."

"I'm  _not_ the Avatar," Marinette repeated firmly. "Cat Noir is!"

Tikki hissed and bared her teeth, silencing the bender. "Allow me to finish if you please," the merdragon snapped. Both females had waited for a few heartbeats before Tikki continued. The pool rippled, revealing flashes of different akumas that Marinette had fought over the years. "Hawk Moth is a new element in this world. He has the power to influence both humans and spirits and bend them to their will. His power is new and can be devastating to the whole world. The Avatar's legacy never ended when Avatar Korra lost her connection to her past lives... she became a new branch of the tree; a branch that either you or Cat Noir grew from... perhaps both of you? It still remains to be seen. But one thing is clear, Marinette when Hawk Moth appeared you and Cat Noir were born to be his counterbalance." Marinette shivered at her merdragon's words.

"But... I'm  _not_ the Avatar."

Tikki blinked at her, allowing her magic to fade from the pool. "Whatever title you carry is up to you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Red Lady, Crimson Spirit, Ladybug, Avatar... none of it matters. The only thing that does matter is how you shape your future and face your destiny."

In a blink, Tikki was gone.

Marinette fell heavily on the rock where her friend had once perched. She had a momentary panic before remembering that Tikki wasn't mortal.  _She's probably back in the Spirit World,_ she thought. Climbing so to keep herself dry, Marinette gazed out over the sea as she thought over all that the merdragon had told her. Soon, the waves began to call to her. She found herself swaying back and forth with them, feeling the push and pull of each movement of water. She began to hum softly, imagining her father's flute music and her mother's harp. She closed her eyes and breathed in the smell of the sea and the sounds it carried... allowing the music to take hold. Getting to her feet, she stepped off the stone. Water immediately rose up to her and caught her foot. She didn't sink; she knew she wouldn't... she had done this so many times since she was a child. Whenever she was struck with a bout of homesickness, she always returned to the seaside. She hummed and sang without word or rhyme, dancing among the waves and then jumping back onto the rocks as they appeared and disappeared.

_Mother danced with the waves too... I wonder if she's dancing with them tonight._

Marinette opened her eyes and gazed up at the full moon, imagining that her mother was also looking down at her. She would dance for her tonight...

Allowing the song of the sea to overtake her, Marinette bent and flowed with the water. It rose and circled her, offering hands to help her twirl back and forth. When she opened her eyes in mid turn, she saw a lone black figure with sun gold hair standing atop of one of the stone pillars. She gasped, realizing  _he_ was bending the water around her...  _dancing_ with her. She saw his face in a glimmering sphere of water that she was touching right this second. Losing her concentration, she shrieked and fell into the water.

 _Oh, La! Oh by Tui and La he saw me! He saw me waterbending,_ she panicked. She felt water invade her nose and mouth as her lungs scrabbled to reclaim any air she lost. She clawed at her throat and then struggled to swim to the surface. A powerful force slammed her into the rocks, making her hit her head. Dazed, she hung there as pain seared through her forehead and cheekbone. Then... she felt something... something grabbed her up. A powerful arm wrapped securely around her neck. She only glanced to the side to see her rescuer before they shot to the surface. Instinct took over the second she felt the wind hit her face. She coughed harshly as her lungs forced the salt water out of her body. A firm hand thumped her back, helping when she began to struggle.

"Easy there, it's okay. I got you," a warm, masculine voice soothed in her ear. She blinked just in time to see them slowly touch down onto the sandy beach. Two bare feet were next to her as she collapsed to the ground; two _large_ bare feet. Her rescuer bent at the knees, and a black-gloved hand tilted her head to look up. She blinked dazedly at Cat Noir's emerald eyes. "Are you alright? Can you hear me--you're bleeding."

"It's alright, it's nothing," Marinette wheezed out, pulling away. She reached up and tentatively touched her wound and winced. "It probably looks worse than it is."

"Wait right here; I'm going to get some water... it's not spirit water, but it will at least get some healing to stick." Cat was off in a flash, summoning up a new sphere of crystal clear water and bringing it back. Marinette watched him, unable to hide her amazement. When he returned to her side, he gently bent the water into a flat shape and pressed it to her face. It was cool and smelled clean. If Marinette hadn't known better, she would've sworn that the liquid was from a freshwater stream. She closed her bad eye as the water began to glow and gently start to buff against her face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's alright. I've had worse scrapes than this," she told him. She waited until he was satisfied and threw the used water against the rocks with a loud splash.

"It doesn't look deep. I don't think it'll scar."

Marinette took a moment to roll her eyes and back away from the Avatar. "If it does, I'll be sure to tell people the great Cat Noir was my rescuer."

The Avatar grinned at her, chuckling. "Just in the right place at the right time, my lady. You dance beautifully... I have to admit I thought you were a firebender when I first saw you. Tell me, what's a waterbender doing in the Imperial Palace of the Fire Nation?"

Marinette flushed, suddenly remembering that she had to keep a cover story. She didn't know this person. Avatar or not, she couldn't trust that he wouldn't try to hurt her if he found out about her true bending abilities. "I  _am_ a firebender," she told him, igniting a small, sputtering flame in her wet palm as proof. Cat Noir arched a brow, eyes flicking from her palm to her face in confusion. "B-but I erm-- I come out-t-to the sea when-if I feel h-homesick."

"Oh, that makes sense," the Avatar nodded. "And it is the full moon. I guess you have some waterbender in you regardless," he grinned.

Marinette's lips quivered as she tried to return the smile, "Yeah... dad was a firebender. I-I gotitfrom him."

 _Calm down,_ she ordered herself.  _You stutter when you lie. You need to keep your cool or else he's going to get suspicious._

"You would get along with my friend Nino," Cat grinned. "He's half earthbender and half firebender; he's _all_ pawesome though."

Marinette blinked. _Did he just pun? I think he did. Oh my La, don't laugh Marinette! Don't!_ "What are you doing out here, Avatar? Shouldn't you be resting in your quarters?"

Cat Noir's grin slipped slightly. "I su _purr_ ose I should, but I am a curious cat," he winked. Then his grin slipped into a polite smile, "I was actually looking for you Marinette."

The raven haired girl blinked, "Me?"

He nodded, "I've been told that if I'm  _ever_ looking for something to come to you, Princess Alya's personal guard. You have quite a reputation."

Marinette cocked a brow, pushing back her hair. "Well, you found me."

"I'm looking for some _one_... a woman I met today."

Marinette suddenly had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Some _one_ female? You're going to have to be more specific than that Cat Noir."

The Avatar blushed slightly and looked her in the eye. "I'm looking for an airbender woman who can't fly."

_One heartbeat._

_Two heartbeats._

_Three..._

"Come again?"

"Well... she can fly, but not well. I don't think she's had an air nomad master teach her properly," Cat Noir told her, pushing back his blond hair as he thought about it. "She's clumsy but she... she saved me today. I dreamed of it happening for years. She's someone important that I need to meet."

"Why? Why is she so important?"

Cat ears, which Marinette thought at first were false, suddenly flattened. She jumped, startled at the movement and her eyes widened in shock. "I can't tell you that. Avatar business, very secret," he put a finger to his lips with a cheeky grin.

Marinette rolled her eyes, "You're going to have to give me more than some girl who can't fly, Cat Noir. That basically labels a good 98% of the Fire Nation women."

"Ah, but how many of those women have blue eyes, dark hair and wear a red mask?" he asked, raising a finger as if he had some epiphany. Marinette struggled not to squirm under his excited gaze.

_He is like a giant kitten, isn't he..._

"Well, I hope you're good at ghost hunting, Avatar. The only person that I know by that description is Ladybug."

Cat Noir blinked and stared at her. His eyes nearly _glowed_ as he stood there thinking. After a while, she began to wonder if she had said something wrong. "Erm... Avatar Cat Noir?" she called. No response. "Cat Noir?" she waved a hand in front of his eyes. It had taken a moment before he blinked.

"Wh-why would you ask if I was good at ghost hunting?"

 _Here we go,_ Marinette thought. "Because Ladybug appears and disappears so fast, it's said she's a spirit."

"That would be a false theory," Cat Noir stated, folding his arms over his chest. "Spirits can't energybend and this Ladybug can. She knows how to free Hawk Moth's akumatized victims and to heal their bending back to its natural state."

_How does he know that?! How can he know that after one meeting?_

"I never thought... of it that way," she murmured slowly as if just coming to the realization herself.

"Marinette, it's imperative that I find her," he told her. "I have a feeling that Ladybug has had the same dreams I do. Please... I need to find her."

Marinette's shoulders drooped slightly in defeat. After a while, she looked away with a sigh. "Alright."

"Alright, what?"

"Alright, I will help you. And you're right; Ladybug isn't a ghost. It's a cover story she's asked me to pass along in case someone comes looking for her. If you need to talk to her so badly, I will get a message to her."

Cat Noir grasped both of Marinette's shoulders, startling her. Her instincts warred in her mind; each element was rising to defend her; to encase him in earth, bind him in ice water, throw him back with fire and to send him flying with air. Instead, she slammed both palms into his chest with enough force to make him lose his breath and then uppercut him in the chin. Down he went into the sand, dazed and apparently surprised. "Oh my, La! Cat! Cat are you alright?"

The Feline Avatar blinked at her, eyes swimming as if to try and focus on her. "Which one is asking..? You throw one hell of a punch, Mari." He reached up and cupped his chin in pain.

Marinette scrambled to her feet, blushing in shame. "Don't ever grab me again, Cat Noir. Avatar or no, I  _will_ defend myself."

Cat held up a finger, "Noted... ow..."

Marinette was preparing to help him up when a bell sounded in the distance. She gasped, taking off back towards the palace.  _Alya is going to kill me!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song that inspired the scene for Marinette's dance is 'Once upon a Time' by Adrien Von Ziegler.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEg4ZUT8MFI
> 
> BUY HIS MUSIC! It is *epic* with a HUGE side of awesomeness!
> 
> So... what do you think? Let me know in the comments! Should I scrap the idea or let it blossom into it's own project?


	2. Curious Cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two women.
> 
> Two mysteries.
> 
> A cat's going to find the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW! And I mean WOW what a reception!
> 
> I'm thrilled you guys like Avatar: The First Balance.
> 
> As promised, here is the next chapter to the story ;) It's in Adrien's POV though which surprised me some. I don't normally switch POV's like this... but something tells me this is going to be a thing in this story.
> 
> I tried to write up a beginning that backs this story up so that we could work up to this point... but needless to say it wasn't working. *SO* I did a continuation...
> 
> Maybe. Thoughts? ENJOY!

Adrien was always curious by nature. Mysteries and riddles always fascinated him. His mystery dream lady  _finally_ had a name.

Ladybug.

 _How fitting,_ he thought as he flicked through the few blurry snapshots given to him over time. Now that one mystery had been solved, many more questions had surfaced in its place.

Who was Ladybug?

Where did she come from?

What bending style did she prefer?

Why did she take up the fight against Hawk Moth?

How did she learn to energybend? 

Why did she learn to energybend?

Why did she heal the akumas she beat?

_So many questions and not enough answers..._

He had dreamed about Ladybug for the first time exactly five years ago. Exactly five years ago, Hawk Moth appeared in the Earth Kingdom cities with Akumas following close behind him. About a month later, he had heard rumors of a waterbender in red that fought an akuma and won. While the story had been highly interesting to Adrien, new rumors that this red lady had  _healed_ the akumas damaged bending abilities caught his interest right away.

Very few people could energybend, other than himself. These people were normally holy leaders of the different elemental tribes. But here... this mysterious figure, with no apparent relation to anyone or any nation,  _healed_ the akumas she fought and beat. He picked up one of the clearer pictures and stared into it. It was taken at a bustling fishing village about four and a half years back by an avid fan. She was dressed in her signature color and wore a wide brimmed hat and a scarf over the lower half of her face. The boy, Tonno he remembered, had told Adrien that he almost  _swore_ that this woman was their village's patron spirit guardian, the Painted Lady. But the same day that the akuma had been freed and healed, she vanished!

Of course, no information was free. Tonno's price, however, was simple. Cat Noir simply needed to pose in a picture with Tonno for his family's long honored tradition. It appeared that his last few incarnations as Avatar had passed through the same fishing village. The first one was of Avatar Aang, the one after that was Korra, then his earthbender incarnation in Gino and the final one with Felix. He had been amazed and mildly fascinated by the collection of rare photos. He hoped the family would be continued to be blessed and keep their records safe over time.

The next sighting was in the Earth Kingdom in one of the inner rings. A firebender had taken up the fight against a gang of akumas there. Adrien had at first dismissed the story. The woman he was looking for was a waterbender. It wasn't until one of the akumas stepped forward and spoke to the press about his possession and resulting damage to his bending. He had reported the strange red firebender _healed_ him.That spurred Adrien and Nino to pursue hotly on this new bender's trail. But unfortunately missed her once again. It took days of searching for clues, but eventually the story had been the same; a red-clad heroine had appeared and defended the people against the akumas, beat them and then healed them one by one. Adrien had run across one of them by chance at the Jasmine Dragon Tea House. The akuma, an airbender named Simon, once named Jackady, had told him that his healer was a remarkable lady with sky blue eyes and night black hair. 'I want to help you,' she said to him. Simon went on to tell Adrien that after being freed from his possession, people of his community had all turned their backs on him. He use to be a teacher at a local theater for young actors and he had the ability to change his voice to any character he wanted. His neighbors abandoned him, his students feared him and he was even _fired_ from his job! They even  _stoned_ him for his misdeeds and greed. "I tried to defend myself," Simon told him. "My father was an airbending master and he was my teacher. But I could barely use a basic spin-cyclone, much less avoid my opponents. The thugs beat me badly and left me in an alley. But this strange lady wanted to  _help_  me without any money or favor in return.

"I don't remember what happened or what she did... I blacked out the second she touched my head. I woke up in a healer's house in a bath of spirit water on the other side of the ring." Adrien was floored by what he had heard. When he asked for the woman's name, Simon had paused and frowned. "I remember asking, and I remember her telling me a name. I'm sorry, I can't remember it now."

 _She's erasing her trail,_ he realized at that moment. Somehow, she was making sure no one remembered her name or specific details of her face. Adrien's curiosity burned for answers, but he had a few clues as to why this was so. The most prominent one was if he was hunting the same person or if they were two different people... it was highly possible that these two women were partners in their battle. It would make the most logical sense. Regardless, he needed answers and he needed them soon. If Hawk Moth somehow got lucky and akumatized one or both of them, then two powerful energybenders would be loosed upon the world.

As time went on, it became very clear that Hawk Moth had a way of gaining information that he  _shouldn't_ have. Somehow, through his akuma possessions, he was slowly proving just how powerful he was. If he managed to akumatize someone of power, then the balance of the world would be at risk. 

Adrien's memories flashed back to when he first met Plagg, his black lioneagle familiar. Plagg had come unexpectantly, though joyfully when Adrien turned four... when he first realized that he could bend  _all_ of the elements. Plagg was normally very easy going and often lead Adrien into mischief. However, the day they met, Plagg had announced, "So, you're Avatar Cat Noir." And so his name began...

Adrien rarely questioned  _why_ Plagg insisted on some things, such as his public Avatar name being 'Cat Noir' or something of that nature instead of his given name. He figured an excellent reason when there was an assassination attempt in Republic City over three years ago. Somehow, Hawk Moth had managed to not only akumatize one of President Zion's personal guard but had also managed to somehow reveal shady funding the President had with some unsavory underground rings.

 _Another clue to the mystery,_ he thought.  _Somehow Hawk Moth has ways of gaining intel on people or things that he has no other connection to. It's done through his akuma possessions... so how is he doing it? How is he getting recruits?_

These questions and similar ones plagued him regularly when he wasn't hunting for his mysterious dream lady.

His last attempt at tracking Red Lady benders lead him here to the Fire Nation capital. New akumas had been spotted here, again an airbender clad in red, much like the one back in the Earth Kingdom, had arisen to battle.

Adrien ran a hand over his face,  _Three women, three different bending styles and all of them can energybend. It can't be a coincidence that some random band of women decided to dress in red and take up the fight against Hawk Moth... all in similar patterns? No; it's rare for someone to energybend. Finding three of them is nearly impossible. It takes real skill to energybend and to do it right, much less heal someone's bending so perfectly they don't leave a trace of their own energy. So what if... they're the same person? Is that possible? But how is she bending more than one element? Can she? Or does she have help that remains unseen... there are too many questions here!_

Speaking of impossible multi-bending, Adrien's thoughts wandered to Marinette. His green eyes fluttered closed, and her face immediately came to his mind. This one was yet another paradox and just as enticing as his Ladybug. He wasn't sure  _what_ he felt that night at the beach, but he was almost perfectly confident he saw her waterbending. That is before he reacted instinctively and bent the water so she wouldn't fall in. He hummed softly to himself, remembering her son as she hummed. It wasn't a waterbender song that he knew of, but it was beautiful regardless. And only waterbenders could dance on waves like that. He opened his eyes, "What do you think Plagg?"

The black lioneagle opened one piercing green eye. "That you need to give me another round of cheese," the cat announced.

"You just ate," Adrien countered. "And that's not what I meant."

Plagg snorted, "Of course you weren't. I'm not a mindreader kit, what do I think about what?"

"Is there any chance that Marinette and this red lady person could be one and the same?"

Plagg blinked slowly, lifting his head. His feathers ruffled before settling back into their normal ebony pattern on his back. "What makes you think they're the same person?"

"I found her at the beach this evening. She almost stepped off a rock and into the sea. I didn't want her to fall in so I waterbent the ocean so she wouldn't! But the water felt... strange."

"Strange? Strange how?"

Adrien nibbled his lip, unsure. Too many questions circled his mind and observations he's seen weren't adding up. "Waterbending has always been easy. Water and air go together very smoothly, even though our styles  _are_ different. When I waterbend with any other bender, I can feel their power every time we engage in training. When Marinette danced... I don't know; the water just had a-a  _hum_ to it. No, 'hum' is the wrong word. But I could  _feel_ something else manipulating the waves."

Plagg tilted his head then flopped back down on his paws. "I haven't had enough cheese to deal with this."

 _"Plagg!_ This is serious!"

"I am serious," the black lioneagle stated and shut his eyes. "I don't know kit. Maybe it's the energy of the sea you're tapping into. You've worked with wild magic before. This isn't anything new."

"It's  _not_ wild magic," Adrien shot back, springing to his feet to pace. "Do you remember back when I first started waterbending with Master Katri? When she and I waterbent an ice attack together? It felt like  _that_ but nowhere near has... harmonious."

"It's not uncommon for benders to find an energy that compliments each other," Plagg offered with a yawn. "So the girl waterbends, big deal."

"She's a  _firebender."_

Plagg's flicking tail stopped, and he lifted his head. "What?"

"She firebent a flame,  _right in front of me._ She was soaking wet, but she did it."

Plagg paused and then cocked his head, "Wait, I'm missing something. How did we go from wave dancing to being soaking wet?" Adrien blushed and swallowed when his familiar's piercing emerald eyes bore down on him. "Adrien? What did you do?" Adrien blushed redder, looked away and mumbled something. Plagg's round ears swiveled his way, "I didn't catch that, kit. Did you cause mischief?"

"Not intentionally," he muttered, rubbing his neck.

Plagg instantly sat up on his haunches, a cat's grin spreading over his face.  _"Now this_ is interesting! What did you do? Drop her when she wasn't looking? Or did she catch you and you did it anyway? Oh by the look on your face I'd say it was the latter." Plagg let out a roaring purr in a cat's laugh.

"It's not funny! Sh-she saw me and panicked. The harmony was gone, and I lost control of my bending, and she fell into the water. I was trying to get her back up, but I drew the tide in too fast... I accidently pushed her into the rocks and made her hit her head."

"Oh, that's rich!" Plagg's purrs got louder as the lioneagle fell back onto his wings and rolled with his paws in the air. "Are-are you sure you didn't want to play hero and rescue a pretty girl?"

"Shut up!" Adrien reached for a pillow and threw it at his familiar. "I didn't do it on purpose!"

"And that's what makes it so funny! Did she swoon when you pulled her out of the water?"

Adrien flushed again, putting a hand to his still tender chin. "Not exactly."

"Then what happened?"

"I healed her of course! I couldn't go around with a cut on her face and a black eye- oh no, Princess Alya is going to  _burn me alive!"_

"Can I watch?" Plagg rolled to his front again, tail flicking merrily at his partner's discomfort. He ducked as another pillow sailed his way and narrowly missed his ears. "Alright, alright I'm done. Now, what happened  _after_ you healed the fair guard lady?"

Adrien paced back and forth, recalling the encounter in detail. "Do you remember this morning's akuma attack? The airbender that caught me and disappeared after the fight? Well, I figured that there couldn't be  _that_ many airbenders in the Fire Nation what with their bloody history and what not. So I asked around on our way here to the castle. Remember the giant earthbender guard? Ivan? He told me he's a healed akuma victim from the Earth Kingdom. He had recently come here to work since things were so difficult after his possession. He told me to seek out Marinette, Princess Alya's guard. 'If you're looking for someone who doesn't want to be found, Marinette is the one to go to.' Those were his exact words.

"I don't know what it was, but there was something about Ivan that stuck out to me. So I asked him about his possession and healing. Ivan says he doesn't remember much and I believe him, but he told me that Marinette was the one who found him back in the Earth Kingdom. He was going to take his own life. He said, 'There was just something in those blue eyes of hers that told me... that everything was going to be okay.' I took his advice and asked her about the airbender woman and hit paydirt. Her name here is 'Ladybug.'"

Plagg blinked,  _"Ladybug?!_ What kind of name is that?"

He shrugged, "I think it kinda fits truthfully. Anyway, it seems Ivan was right again; Marinette found Ladybug and knows how to contact her."

If Plagg could whistle, he would've just now. "Better watch you back, kit. It sounds as if this Marinette has tricks that you don't want her using on you."

"I don't think I have anything to worry about. She seems... I don't know...  _scared_ of me."

"Scared? Why would she be afraid of  _you?_ You're the Avatar!"

Adrien shrugged and paced to the window to look outside. "That's another question to add when I get her talking again." The pair fell silent, both mulling over their thoughts. Then Adrien turned to his familiar, a question burning in his eyes.

Plagg saw it and sighed, "Now what?"

"Is it possible... that someone can bend more than one element?"

"Are you seriously asking me that? You're the Avatar, of course, it's possible!"

"I mean people other than just me," Adrien pressed.

"That's crazy."

"Just answer the damn question, Plagg!"

The black lioneagle's ears flew back; Adrien  _rarely_ swore. He flexed his claws in the rug beneath him, deep in thought. "Why would you ask that?" Adrien paused, thinking back to the reports he's heard about Ladybug. Too many details about her likeness, fighting patterns and healings were alike for each report to be a different woman much less another bender. If this theory of Adrien's was right, then she was the first of her kind, and the prospect of meeting her was thrilling. But then, another thought entered his mind unbidden.

_What if she could bend all four? What if she can metalbend? That would make her... another Avatar; like me._

He squashed that thought, not wanting to face the embarrassment of asking Plagg such a stupid question. It was impossible. There has always been one Avatar since the beginning. It seemed highly unlikely that would change now. There was no proof that such existed in any of the histories that he had been taught. No, the second Avatar theory had no merit.

"Just hear me out with this okay? Remember the waterbender at the fishing village?"

"The one the humans thought was their Painted Lady returned?"

"Yeah, and when she disappeared there was a firebender in the Earth Kingdom with the same motive?"

"Crimson Spirit," Plagg nodded, remembering the name the locals had given their mysterious heroine.

"And now Ladybug here... an airbender. It remains to be seen if this ex-akuma surfaces again with their bending healed too."

Plagg went silent, tail flicking slowly as he chose his words. "It's also possible that there is a gang out there with the same motivation against Hawk Moth," he offered. "Perhaps the White Lotus is involved?"

Adrien fell back against the window, "I thought of that too. I'm waiting to hear back from Master Katri on that. You still haven't answered my question."

"I've never seen another person other than the Avatar bend all the elements. What I do know is that after Avatar Korra's break from the traditional path, there has been a disruption in the flow of energy in the world. Hawk Moth was born out of that disruption. Either way, it seems that you two have a common enemy to defeat, Avatar. If there  _is_ a person out there who can bend multiple elements other than you, then they are the first."

Adrien nibbled his lip again, thumbing over his sore chin to work out the pain. "Let's say for argument's sake that Marinette  _can_ both waterbend and firebend... I don't think this Ladybug would be the first person to bend more than one element. Remember when Avatar Korra opened the spirit portals and decreed that they are kept open? And when she opened the third one in Republic City? The Spirit World and the Physical World have both needed to adjust drastically to coexist. The world was out of balance without Air Nomads; so when the portals opened, new airbenders began to appear. The world became rebalanced... sort of. What if this is another step of change for benders all over the world?"

Plagg rumbled and flopped down onto his belly again, "Then I  _definitely_ haven't had enough cheese to deal with this. You're far too curious of a kit, Adrien."

The blond grinned and went to his bags to fish out another wheel of cheese for his familiar. "And that's why you like me so much."

"No, I like you because you feed me good cheese." Plagg perked his head up, realizing one thing. "You think Ladybug are the same person, don't you?"

"It's a theory."

"Well, there's one flaw."

"What's that?"

"From what you just told me, Marinette can't airbend."

Adrien's head snapped up and he groaned in frustration. Tossing Plagg his wheel of cheese, Adrien flopped down onto the bed.  _Too many questions!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens...
> 
> So what are your impressions on Adrien? Are his theories plausible? Or am I writing out of left field here? I've already got Chapter 3 started and it will be in Marinette's POV. Or so is the plan anyway...
> 
> Thoughts? Opinions?
> 
> See y'all next chapter!
> 
> -Kestra


	3. An Akuma she Knows...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug's latest charge is not someone she expects to see...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!!!
> 
> This may end up making some people pissed off. And rightly so; but this also has a scene of a mob trying to DROWN someone. if this offends/triggers you, you might want to avoid that scene. I am working on putting in the warning marks on where to skip right now.

Finding akuma victims had never been particularly hard for her. Ladybug never questioned why this was a fact, but it never made the job any easier. She was never prepared for when she found them, no matter where she roamed or who she helped. Every person was different, just as they were before their possession. However, the akumas had a way of twisting their victim's sorrows, anger, and pain and magnifying it to an extreme level. Sometimes the victims were lonely people with a need but seeing no way to fulfill it. But lately... lately Hawk Moth's akumas had been much hungrier for destruction.No matter the reason for the possession, the cost of rebellion against Hawk Moth was always the same. That cost sometimes drove people to the brink. There were victims she healed that were much like Ivan, broken and unwilling to continue living. She remembered how long it took to convince him to stay living. 

But this... finding freed akuma victims in the middle of a mob was always the  _worst_ way to find them.

"Keep her down!" one man was ordering. Down in the square before her, Ladybug watched as the mob held the latest victim down under water. Most were firebenders, naturally, but there were other waterbenders or nonbenders present. "Keep her down Kol!"

"She's a feisty one," the waterbender, Kol, snapped back as their target thrashed to the surface and coughed in lungfuls of fresh air. Fire lashed out from other firebenders. Ladybug's breathing stopped when she heard screeches of pain and fear.  _She's... she's no older than twelve,_ Ladybug realized.

Ladybug instantly saw red. Forgetting her alias as an airbender heroine, she summoned the water to her and lashed out at the mob. Some people screamed in surprise and fear while her water caught up others and threw them aside. Some she froze into place, uncaring if they saw her or not. This was a  _child!_

"You are a disgrace to your waterbending ancestors," she snarled at Kol, blue eyes blazing as she pinned him down with thick layers of ice. Heads turned in her direction, jaws dropping in shock. She heard her name... no, not her name.  _Ladybug's_ name.

 _Calm down,_ she ordered herself.  _Breathe, you're an airbender remember?_

She turned and glared at every person who spoke, silencing them with a scathing stare. "And your firebending ancestors," she continued, once she was sure she had control of herself again. "How dare you besmirch their honor by attacking a  _child!_ How dare you all sully your proud histories by being judge over someone who had no control over their thoughts and actions while akumatized. Shame! Shame on all of you!"

A few benders had the decency to look away. By the time Ladybug finished her tirade, she had reached the water and looked inside. Her throat closed as she looked down into the shallow depths. Her work just hit a new low that she hadn't been prepared for; she knew this girl.

"If you help her, you are no better than  _them!"_  

Ladybug didn't pay Kol any attention, but her teeth did crack noisily when she clenched them. Her hands dove into the water and lifted Manon Dragon Dancer out of the water. She was ice cold to the touch from the fountain.  _Kol must've been trying to induce hypothermia,_ she thought, bringing the girl to her chest. Rage built up in her body, turning her air and waterbending into fire. She wanted to burn him alive! To cook him until nothing remained but ash-no not even ash! She would incinerate him into oblivion for this crime!

The wind began to pick up to mirror her destructive emotions. "Oh, Manon... oh child, what happened to you?"

Ice shattered as Kol finally managed to take hold of his waterbending. "Kol stop! That's Ladybug; she's a hero!" a woman cried out. Ladybug's eyes focused instantly, hearing her though not in time as a stream of ice water hit her square in the back. She twisted as she fell, breaking Manon's fall with her body. Her head hit the base edge of the fountain, causing her to see spots.

"She's helping that monster," Kol snapped back, fingering ice out of his long, ink-black hair. "Who's to say she's not secretly working with Hawk Moth this whole time? Trying to gain our trust?!"

"He's right," a firebender plucked up the courage to speak next. Ladybug looked up to see one of the city guards step forward. "Ladybug has caused just as much damage as the akumas. No matter how she does it, the akumas are  _still_ a problem and must pay for their crimes. There's no saving them once they've turned to  _Hawk Moth._ Who's to say Ladybug isn't an akuma herself?"

_What?_

Ladybug barely had time to react as both water and fire lashed out in her direction. Scrambling to move, she clumsily summoned a vortex to re-direct both attacks as she struggled to shield Manon with her body.  _If there's an earthbender in this mix, I'm screwed._

"Kol, stop!" the same woman from before wailed.

"You too Hakim!" another joined her. Both threw themselves in front of Ladybug, deflecting the attacks with matching bending styles to the men. Ladybug didn't dare let down her guard despite the help.

"Gia, get out of the way," Kol ordered.

"Faline, what are you doing?!" Hakim, the firebender guard, snapped.

"When did you two become child killers?" Faline snapped. "She hasn't done anything to us since Ladybug purified her akuma."

"It's just a matter of time," Kol growled. He twisted in a waterbender dance that Ladybug was familiar with. She cried her warning too late as water and ice shot up from the ground and ensnared both women in twisting, icy tentacles. She scrambled to scoop up Manon and jump from the ground with the help of her airbending but landed only a few feet away. She jumped again and again, avoiding ice attacks as Kol lashed out again and again. She yelped when Hakim's firebending almost caught Manon in the leg.

Remembering her training, Ladybug jumped, spun and avoided the attacks the best she could without the use of her arms. Her legs worked her airbending, deflecting attacks while lashing out patterns of her own. Unfortunately, jumping around with Manon in her arms was eating up the air in her lungs.  _I have to stop, but I can't afford to let her go! Who knows what'll happen if I take my eyes off of her,_ she thought.

Suddenly, a familiar sensation rushed over her skin beneath her red and black suit. "I would hardly call this a fair fight," a new voice cut through the noise in her ears. Water rushed up from the fountain and attacked Hakim. "Cool off there, hothead. And you," earth cracked around Kol's feet and opened up into a crater. Kol fell through with a cry of shock as it closed in around him up to his chest, "Have a seat."

"Who's there?" Faline called out, her amber eyes darting around in shock, but Ladybug had already turned around. She couldn't hide the expression of relief to see the Avatar appearing from the shadows from a nearby alley.

Cat Noir saw it and grinned at her, "I a _paw_ logize for my tardiness, Ladybug. In my defense, though, you are difficult to track down."

 _Don't laugh,_ Ladybug ordered herself. She bit her tongue and took a moment to breathe and get her bearings. "You're just in time, Avatar."

Cat's grin slipped as he took in the sopping bundle in the heroine's arms. "Who's this?"

"Manon... Manon Dragon Dancer. She was the akuma from two days ago."

 _Why was she telling him this?_ She asked herself. Normally she would tell people not to bother with her and take the victim away to heal them. She... couldn't remember ever giving away an identity like this before.  _Now I will have to get Manon somewhere safe; it's clear she can't stay here anymore._

Cat blinked and then his ears flattened, "I saw her dance once, two years ago in Republic City." His cat-eyes flickered slightly as he did up the math and then his lips peeled back to reveal sharp canines. Ladybug stepped back, pulling the girl as close as she could to her chest. Cat's rage, however, wasn't directed at her. He turned sharply, and the mob flinched back visibly at the black suited bender. "Child murder is still a capital crime in the Fire Nation, is it not?" he snarled at Hakim. He turned fully towards the guard and, in mid-stride, slammed a foot down on the ground. Earth shot up beneath Hakim, throwing him into the air with a scream of surprise. Cat moved gracefully, fists slashing out in knife handshapes as two black items flew off his belt. It took a moment for Ladybug to realize they were made of metal as they caught Hakim's wrists in mid air and locked them behind the firebender as cuffs. Cat held the metal in mid-air easily with one hand as he pulled the guard closer to him more slowly. "I asked you a question," he growled.

"I-it is your Excellency," Hakim squeaked, his pupils nearly disappearing into pinpricks from fear.

"And what makes it okay to attack a  _child_ for matters that you clearly have no knowledge over?!" Cat Noir's demand rumbled through Ladybug's chest. He sounded like a rumbling tigerdillo about to attack his prey. "A  _firebender_ child who obviously can't defend themselves because their bending is damaged from  _Hawk Moth's_ influence!"

Hakim either couldn't or wouldn't answer. He began to pant hard, blathering pleas to spare his life. Cat Noir didn't seem to hear him; he raised a hand, and long, razor-sharp metal claws extended past the fingertips on his gloves. Ladybug was instantly by his side, grasping his wrist. "Enough, we've made our point. I need to take Manon somewhere safe. Can you make sure those two," she gestured to Hakim and Kol, "get to the closest guard station?"

Cat's sharp green eyes zeroed in on the woman's red and black gloved hand. "What if you get attacked again?" he snapped.

"We'll take them," Faline spoke up.

"And confess what we were a part of," another man in the mob spoke up. "Ladybug is right... what we did was shameful."

Cat Noir took in each face, judging how accurate their words were before dropping Hakim to the ground and releasing Kol from his prison. "If I hear different about any of you about this, I  _will_ hunt you down. There's one woman I know who can find those who don't want to be found."

Ladybug fought  _very hard_ not to flinch as she heard a few people whisper her real name. She still couldn't figure out how  _that_ particular rumor started. She wasn't sure how true it was either. She flinched away from Cat Noir as he tried to take Manon from her grasp. He stopped, looking her in the eye. "You can't fly with a passenger," he murmured, reminding her quietly of their first meeting two days prior.

Ladybug's cheeks flushed red before turning and marching away. Shifting Manon so she could carry her with one arm, she unhooked a bandalore from her belt and began to twirl it. Cat blinked, surprised that he hadn't seen the weapon at first until she threw it around a dragon statue. She tugged, ensuring its hold before glancing back at him. "I don't always fly," she told him. She pulled hard to give the illusion of engaging a mechanism before metalbending the cable into action with a twist of her hand. She jumped from the ground and swung away, shivering as the wind cut through her sopping wet suit. Landing, she glanced back at Cat Noir, concerned that he saw through her illusion. However, the black-clad Avatar was staring at her in open-mouthed awe. She arched a brow, "Are you coming or not?"

Cat jumped, then took a running leap to catch up to her. Pulling out his baton, he twirled it until it extended to a longer length and vaulted up to her level. He landed gracefully, smirking when he caught her staring. "I don't always fly either."

Ladybug nodded and then smiled at him, "Just try to keep up."

The pair left the mob scene behind, jumping from rooftop to rooftop in perfect sync and silence.  _I'm not ready for this,_ she thought to herself.  _I was hoping that I still had at least a few more days before I met with him._

But she knew what Tikki's response would be: Fate waits for no one.

They stopped at Avatar Roku's Dragon Temple. The building was well maintained for being almost tree-hundred years old, and currently empty of all practitioners and firebending Masters. "Is this where you've been hiding out?" asked the Avatar, taking in the kanji creeds and mantras that were scattered over the walls.

"No, but I know this is a safe spot at this time of night," she told him, gently setting Manon down. "She's freezing cold, and she's barely shivering."

Cat immediately turned to her, eyes alert. "Give her to me. I'll warm her up." Ladybug hesitated, arms still around the small girl. Cat offered a smirk, "Unless you would rather me hold you too?"

"No, I... I trust you."  _Now._

Cat Noir blinked but then his grin spread completely over his face. Ladybug handed her friend over and watched as the Avatar gently passed his hands over her form. First, he pulled the lingering water from her clothing and tossed it into a flower vase close by and then set to work on warming her with gentle fire bending. He frowned, "Aren't firebenders naturally hot to the touch?"

"It's because of the dragon blood, and yes, they normally are. It's because her bending is severely damaged from her being akumatized."

Luminescent green eyes met Ladybug's blue ones. "How do you know that?"

Ladybug bit her lip and chewed it for a moment, "I've seen it many times with other akumatized victims. I... I can heal her."

"So I was right," the Avatar breathed softly, pupils widening in excitement. "Where did you learn?"

She shrugged, "A-around... are you done? I want to make Manon better so I can take her somewhere safe."

Cat frowned, "She's not staying with you?"

Ladybug shook her head, "I can't. No one must... must find out who I am, Avatar. I can't risk that; not with the kind of work that I do. I know someone, though, who I know can guarantee her safety."

"One of her dance troupe?"

"As far as I'm aware, they're not here. Which is why I'm wondering why  _she_ is."

Cat blinked, "You know her?"

Ladybug stopped talking and got up to pace to Avatar Roku's statue. The firebender's sightless eyes gazed down at her, offering silent wisdom that she couldn't decode.  _He's too easy to talk to,_ she thought.  _I have to be careful of what I say. I could put both our lives at risk if..._ she quickly banished the thought before she allowed it to resurface.  _No; positive thoughts, Mari._

"Manon's troupe... ah, one person, in particular, took me in when I was injured from a fight. She made me well, and a few months later, I landed here in the Fire Nation. I heard of some akuma problems so I picked up where I left off. And no, I don't think Hawk Moth is here. If he was, he's long gone by now."

Cat Noir blinked, lips quirking slightly as if amused. "Do your talents involve mind reading?"

Ladybug hummed softly and turned to face him again with a smile. "No; I just know a curious cat when I see one. That and Marinette told me you would probably pop up sooner rather than later."

"Chance, pure luck."

"Right."

Cat blushed slightly, "Sorry... patience was never a virtue."

"It can't be helped now. Are you done?"

"Almost, I've got her shivering at least. But she's still not conscious."

"They did try to drown her," Ladybug bit out, trying to restrain her temper. Cat's ears flattened as well, turning his eyes away. "I'll take her now."

"Are you sure you're up to it? Emotional attachments can influence energybending. I can do it if you would like?"

"You know how to energybend?"

Cat grinned at her, "I'm the Avatar. It kind of comes with the job description." Ladybug couldn't restrain her chuckle from escaping. Cat's grin broadened, "The lady  _does_ laugh! I was beginning to wonder if you had no sense of humor!"

Ladybug blinked, "No sense of humor? Says the cat who uses bad puns. If anyone's humor is in question, it's yours."

"Hey, my puns are excellent!"

Ladybug shook her head, unable to get rid of her smile.  _How are you so easy to talk to, Cat Noir? What is it about you that makes me feel at ease when I really shouldn't be?_

"Are you sure you want to do the healing?" Cat asked, more serious this time.

"The sooner it's done, the better. It will be best if she wakes up with someone she nows and trusts. I was around in the mask when one of my patient's woke up and..." she brushed her side, remembering when one firebender had lashed out with lightning at her. "Thye can be jumpy."

"Is that why you take them to places like a healer's house?"

Ladybug jerked her head up, surprised. Cat met her eyes steadily, "In the Earth Kingdom... Simon?"  _How in the name of all the elements does he know about Simon?!_ she wanted to scream.  _"Were_ you in the Earth Kingdom over a year ago?"

"How do you know Simon?"

"Chance."

 _I'm beginning to hate that word,_ Ladybug thought. Flicking her eyes outside, she checked the position of the moon before reaching for Manon. "I'm running out of time, Avatar. I'm sorry, your questions are going to have to wait."

"Can I watch?"

Ladybug blinked, uncertain. She knew that when she entered a person's spiritual plane, there was always a chance that her image would change back to Marinette. If Cat was with her during her healing, it could mean her identity being exposed. The Avatar sensed her unease, "I won't get in your way. I want to  _see_ , Ladybug. I need to see what you do so that I can learn the true extent of Hawk Moth's power."

"When you put it that way..."

"You won't even know I'm there."

Ladybug bit her lip. Cat's hand came up and then hesitated before rising to his shoulder height, palm open, "Cat's honor." He waited, holding his breath.

The red clad heroine sighed softly, "Just don't get in my way." Gently taking Manon and placing her over her lap, Ladybug put one hand over the girl's forehead and the other on her shoulder, thumb in the center of her collar bones. She took a deep breath to center herself and then opened her link to meet with Manon's energy. Instantly the world fell away from her senses.

_She floated in the dark for a moment before touching down somewhere with lots of flowers. Hands came down gently overtop her shoulders, making Ladybug jump. These hands were bare, their palms were warm agaisnt her shoulders. "It's okay, it's me."_

_Ladybug hesitated before turning around and finding Cat's masked face before her. She reached up out of reflex and felt her own mask in place. She thanked whatever god was watching out for her for that fact. "Keep close; I can't wait for you to show up again if we get separated."_ _Cat's eyes kept flicking between her own, as if he were looking for something. He looked down at his belt and then tugged it loose. Ladybug jumped and almost broke contact with him. "What are you doing?"_

_"Relax, I'm making sure we don't get separated."  He took one of the metal rings that hung there and threaded it through with her own before re-sinching the tie again. "There, now there's no chance of us splitting up."_

Huh, that's smart, _she thought. Cat's face suddenly lit in a pleased grin and she remembered._ Oh right... our minds are easier to read here.

_Tugging him along, they walked side by side into the field in search of Manon's spiritual self._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger!
> 
> :3 Alright ladies and gents... I want to forewarn y'all that I'm in Finals Mode here in my life. (Reality sucks and so is being a broke college student...
> 
> AND YES we will get into Marinette's history as the story progresses. Not just hers either, Adrien's too. So sit tight! It's not required for the story's current phase yet.
> 
> Clearly I couldn't wait to bring these two lovely children together. *shrug* and it works for the story so... yeah.
> 
> *dives into the bunker*  
> Don't hate me for the cliffhanger!
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments!  
> -Kestra


	4. Dancing among Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Avatar witnesses a white firebender's abilities restored...

_Cat Noir kept glancing at Ladybug out of the corner of his eye as they walked. She was the exact image that he had seen in his dreams. Her hair was tied up high on her head with a scarlet ribbon that danced with the tails of her raven hair. A black spotted red mask covered the upper half of her face, disguising most of her identity. Her arms were bare, though he could see a tattoo peeking out from beneath her clothing on one shoulder. Her outfit looked just like it did in the physical world; a red top with black spots on the shoulders, upper chest, belt and lining her boots. The rest was black with gold stitching around the edges. Her ears were studded with two ladybug earrings that peeked out every now and again through some of the shorter hair that framed her face. Her hands were gloved, just like his, only hers only came to just below the wrist. Clearly, they were strictly to help with gripping anything she needed to hold._

_The more he took in her outfit, the more puzzled he was. Ladybug caught him staring twice now and finally stopped. She arched a single eyebrow at him, "You keep looking at me. What is it?"_

_"Your outfit... no offense meant, but it looks more like a firebender's choice than an airbender."_

_Ladybug frowned, looking down at herself, "What's wrong with it?"_

_Cat gently pinched the shoulder of her top with two claws. "The fabric for one; it's too rough and would cause way too much drag if you were ever gliding. And it would absorb water way too much, rather than let it slide off like a turtleduck."_

_"I_ am _staying in the Fire Nation," she told him. "I need to blend in somehow. And besides, I don't exactly... feel comfortable in a skin-tight flight suit."_ _Was it just him, or was Ladybug blushing? He tried to look closer, but it was too difficult to tell with the color of her mask against her face. "I also imagine it's tough to stay warm."_

_"Nah, not me. If you ever decide to give it a try, I'll be glad to help you keep warm," he winked._

_Ladybug looked away, focusing her summer blue eyes back on the scene in front of her. Adrien had to fight his inner cat from trying to turn her attention back on him._ I'm on a mission, _he reminded himself._ Focus!

_"Oh no."_

_"What is it?" Cat Noir's head snapped up, instantly alert. It had taken a moment before he saw it too. "O-oh..."_

_Moths, ragged looking ones that trailed smoke behind them, fluttered densely in the plains they were walking. Whenever they touched a flower, a flame would blaze for a moment before going out. Ladybug hissed softly, drawing his attention as one moth came close to her. She snatched it up off the flower with one hand and covered it with her other. Cat immediately reached for her and clasped his hands over the top hers. "What are you doing?! That can kill--" he broke off as Ladybug re-opened her hands and a pure white butterfly flew out. "What?"_

_"Those are remnants of the akuma Hawk Moth sent to Manon. They're not strong, but they are poisonous to her bending if I let them go."_

_Cat Noir gazed around the field with renewed concern, "But there are so many. This will take forever if you do it one at...a...time?" he drifted off as he watched as flashes of scarlet, crimson, ruby, pink, and even flecks of onyx and ebony began to appear in vicinities of the moths. He watched as the lights circled about, trapping the smokey moths briefly before releasing white butterflies in their wake. Ladybug moved her hands, drawing his attention back. Her hands were moving in patterns that made him think she was bending something, but as far as he could see, none of the elements were responding. They were in the spiritual realm, he remembered. The elements don't react to them here. So why practice bending if nothing was happening?_

_"Can you step aside please?" she asked._

_"What?"_

_"Cat, we need to move so I can continue working."_

_Unsure of what she meant, he did move. She moved with him, their connected belts holding firm. Suddenly, a river flowed behind them where they were just standing. Cat's ears shot up in surprise, watching as crystal clear water coursed a groove through the flowers and out of sight. He turned sharply, "But... we're not physically here, right? In the spirit world, I mean. You can't bend in the spirit world!"_

_"You're right; I can't. But I can bend my own spirit, and this is Manon's soul center."_

_"I don't get it. I thought we're here to help fix her bending. To bend another person's energy, yours has to be unbendable."_

_Ladybug looked at him patiently. "My soul is unbendable to Manon's will. Just as it is unbendable to_  yours _Avatar." She held out a palm, and two ladybugs immediately flew to her. "These are extensions of myself in this world, just as Hawk Moth has his extensions in his own creatures." The ladybugs flew off to attack another sickly moth that touched down on a soft pink orchid flower. "I bend my energy, and therefore my extensions, to heal Manon."_

 _Feeling thoroughly schooled, Cat Noir nodded in amazement as her logic reached him._  That is amazing,  _he thought,_ how come I never figured out this technique? _Movement caught the corner of his eye, and he saw more of the mixed lights working up ahead. He squinted, "What's up there?"_

_"The source of the problem.That's Manon's heart chakra. I guess the akuma hit her deep in her emotions," Ladybug murmured. She moved in that direction, tugging him along._

_Cat Noir matched her stride, "Why her heart?"_

_"Manon loves dancing. She does her best firebending when she dances, so I guess that's where the akuma hit the hardest."_

_"She is a skilled firebender. I loved her performance in Republic City." The crimson and onyx lights ahead flared a bit, making the duo pause._

_Ladybug smiled, "I think she heard you."_

_Cat smiled, "She made this one firebending move on stage, two years ago that gave the illusion of dragon wings. Did you know she could bend white fire?"_

_"Yes. That's how you know she's at her happiest," Ladybug smiled. Cat Noir took in her expression and noted a knowing glint in her eyes. It was like... she was proud of the child. He guessed Ladybug's age to be close to his, right around twenty-two if not younger. But appearances could be deceiving._

_"Is she your daughter?" he asked carefully._

_"What?!"_

_"Sister then?"_

_"No, Manon's not my kin," Ladybug shook her head. "But I guess I do consider her as a little sister; I suppose... since her dance troupe helped me."_ _Cat Noir didn't know he had a knot in his chest until it loosened. He had so many questions! When he opened his mouth to ask, when something small and red flew at his face. He ducked with a surprised hiss as it buzzed past his ear. Then another red thing flew at him, and he grabbed Ladybug to pull her back._

_"Watch out!"_

_"It's alright," Ladybug held up a hand, and the two buzzing lights came and settled on two of her fingers. When she lowered them, she revealed two ladybugs. "See? They're just ladybugs."_

_"Ladybug?" a voice, small and faint reached Cat's ears. Both heroes immediately looked around in reaction._

_"Manon?" Ladybug called back._

_"Is it really you?"_

_"Manon, where are you?"_

_The wind shifted, and ladybugs rose into the air from the flowers. They spun in dizzying patterns, distorting the light in one area of the field close to the newly unblocked river. There sat Manon, her back scorched, and her clothes charred. Cat's lips parted, and his ears pulled back in shock. The girl looked up, her face tear stained and smudged with soot. "Ladybug?"_

_"Oh... oh Manon," Ladybug covered her mouth with her hands._ _Cat Noir gasped as he felt the child's aching heart. The pain was so intense it nearly crippled him where he stood. Together, they moved to sit side by side with Manon. Ladybug gathered the girl in her arms, holding her tightly. "It's okay," she soothed as Manon began to cry again. "I'm here. It's truly me."_

_"I'm sorry!" she sobbed. "I didn't mean to... I'm sorry!"_

_"Sorry for what? What happened little dragon?"_

_Manon wiped her amber-gold eyes, trying to stop the tears. She sniffled, "I... they said I was nothing but mama's puppet. That I'm only good because papa is so talented."_

_"Who said that?" Cat demanded._

_"We were on Kyoshi Island," Manon whimpered softly. "There was another dance troupe there to perform for their Avatar Festival. I was practicing my routine when some other dancers came over and began to ask questions or correct some of my technique. I thought they were just trying to help me. But then they started saying that I didn't have any talent... that it was all mama's work. They were the real talent."_

_"That's not true," Cat told her. Manon turned to look at him with wide, surprised eyes._

_"Who are you?"_

_Cat hesitated for a moment and flicked his eyes to Ladybug. Clearly, the child didn't remember him with his mask on. The red lady seemed to read his thoughts and turned her eyes away without questioning anything. He smiled in gratitude, hoping that one day they would be able to meet each other without masks. He drew two fingers over his face, making his black mask disappear in a sizzle of green light. Manon gasped, "It's you! I remember you; you were with President Zion when we performed in Korra Park!"_

_Cat put a finger to his lips and winked, "I'm glad you remember me, Dragon Dancer. Tell me, could those other dancers bend white fire as you can?"_

_Manon's small smile slipped away, "I can't do it anymore. I couldn't do it on Kyoshi Island. Something was wrong with my bending, but papa wouldn't listen. And then one of those girls that helped me challenged me to Agni Kai for my position in the dance troupe. I... I lost. And I got really mad! I wanted to confront her back, but I couldn't summon my white fire again."_

_An image flashed in Cat's mind, a man in shadows. He had hundreds of butterflies fluttering around him. He instantly realized that this must've been Hawk Moth as he had appeared before Manon. "What happened next?"_

_Manon immediately went silent, cringing away from the Avatar. Ladybug gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders and drew her close. "Manon, you need to tell us what happened."_

_"But you'll be mad at me, just like papa."_

_"I won't get mad, I promise."_

You're very forgiving, _Cat thought. Ladybug's eyebrow twitched, signaling that she had heard him. He just thought she was absolving the girl too quickly without hearing her full story._

_"I wanted to make Nalia pay. A man said he could restore my white firebending if I helped him. That's the last thing I remember... Somehow I landed here in the Fire Nation. I went looking for you Ladybug. I knew that you could help me find my troupe! I think I hurt people. I only get flashes of what I did. I remember setting our wagons on fire. They called me Azula the Mad!"_

_Cat's ears flattened, and Ladybug flinched. Azula was not a name any bender should be called. It was one of the greatest insults to ever be given in their culture._

_"Did I go mad?" Manon asked. When neither hero answered, her amber eyes widened even more. "I did! I was mad! I promise I will be good for the rest of my life! I'm sorry for what I did Ladybug. I want to fix things, but I can't even firebend a candle to flame anymore. Are the spirits angry with me? Is that why they took my firebending away?"_

_"Calm down," Ladybug put a finger to Manon's lips._

_"You didn't go mad, Manon. There is not an ounce of madness in you," Cat explained gently. "But the man you met was named Hawk Moth."_

_"Hawk Moth? No... the man that I met was..." Manon stopped and furrowed her brow. "I... I don't remember."_

_"It's okay if you don't remember. Don't worry about that. Everything is over now, I promise. What's damage can be fixed, all right? It will take a lot of hard work, but it can be done."_

_"Really?"_

_"Yes, absolutely," Ladybug agreed with a nod to Cat. Her eyes were still closed, but he could tell she was grateful for his words. He almost purred in pride seeing that expression._

_As they talked, Cat began to notice that Manon's scorches were starting to fade away. The soot on her face had all but disappeared, as did her burns. But still, he could tell that she wasn't entirely healed. After a moment of thought, he had an idea come to him. Ladybug lifted her head, eyebrows arching in question. "Manon, will you dance for me again?"_

_"What?! But I can't bend white fire remember? It's all gone."_

_Cat smiled and drew his mask over his face again, "What are you talking about? Of course, you can! No one can take away your fire, little dragon. That's silly! You can open your eyes now, my Lady."_

_Ladybug hesitated before peeking out with one eye and then opening the other. "The Avatar is right. No one can take away your bending. I would love to see you dance again, Dragon Dancer. I want to see how much you've improved since I last saw you!"_

_Manon hesitated, unsure. Suddenly, Ladybugs surged up around the girl and nuzzled her cheeks and buzzed around her body. Manon giggled, claiming they tickled her. She got up out of Ladybug's lap and moved away from the pair._

_Cat sat closer to Ladybug, tail wrapping excitedly around her wrist. "A purrivate concert?  This almost feels like a date than a healing session."_ _Ladybug fought not to blush and rolled her eyes._

_Suddenly, Manon turned to look at the pair. "But I don't have any music; I never dance without music." Her lip quivered, and the sky above them turned dark with rainclouds. "I wish Marinette was here."_

_Cat's struggled not to give away his surprise. Out of all names for this young bender to pull, it was '_ Marinette,'  _that she chose. Planting a hand behind him, he leaned back and casually looked at Ladybug anew. What were the odds that Manon knew both Ladybug_ and _Marinette? How did she know them?_

_While knowing that there was a connection between the royal guard of Princess Alya and Ladybug herself, having a second party confirm the connection was startling._

_"What are you talking about, Manon?" Cat nearly shot to his feet when a voice, much like Ladybug's, spoke from behind the girl. Ladybug grabbed his shoulder to keep him in his place, turning her blue eyes on him._

_"Calm down; it's a memory."_

_"A memory?" Cat asked, voice shaky._

_Manon had turned too and cried out in delight. He ran to the raven haired firebender as she appeared from a swirl of glowing red and black ladybugs. Cat's lips parted, taking in the memory girl's attire. He thought she looked cute before, in her formal uniform, it had nothing on her in this image. She was wearing a light, flowing gypsy style dress with a pink wrap around her waist. The wrap had coins sewn into the hem, ringing softly as she walked towards Manon. The closer she got, the more Cat could see more Water Tribe influences in the design. The dress was simple with some pink embroidery along the shoulders, collar, and belt line in familiar waterbender swirls._

_Manon was so happy to see the memory; she literally jumped into Marinette's arms._ Wow, they must be close, _Cat thought, still trying to work through his surprise._

_"You don't have to stay for this part," Ladybug spoke up, but the Avatar wasn't paying attention. His eyes were fixed ahead, taking in every detail he could. His ears pricked as music began to play; drums started first, then a violin and other voices came forward. Marinette put down Manon, backing away with a sway of her hips. Cat blinked as the girl began to sing and clap to the beat._

_"Dance Manon," Marinette encouraged before leaping into song._

 

 _'_ _I came by a house last night,_

_and told the woman I was staying_

_I said to her, 'The moon is bright! And my fiddle's tuned for playing.''_

 

_Cat blinked as he saw shadows of other people joined in the scene, creating a half-ring around the two girls. He saw two men drumming off to the side and a woman fiddler, Manon's mother he guessed, beside them._

 

_'Tell me that the night is long,_

_Tell me that the moon is glowing,_

_Fill my glass, I'll sing a song!_

_And we'll start the music flowing..._

_Never mind the rising light,_

_There's no sign of day or dawn_

_In my heart it's still the night_

_And we'll stay until the morning...'_

 

_Manon stood side by side with Marinette, giggling as she began to move and flow with her friend's singing. Cat's ears twitched forward and smiled, thoroughly enjoying himself. He watched as Marinette flowed into a waterbender style of dancing like he had seen before. He purred when he saw Manon picking up on her movements. They raised one hand above their heads and spun in place; at the same time, small sparks of fire lit off of their fingertips and danced around their forms without touching either of them._

_This dance was not one Cat Noir had seen before, but it was clear that these two had danced together before. They split off and began to bend the fires between them, creating flashes of images whenever they collided._

 

_'Fill the glasses one more time,_

_And never heed the empty bottle._

_Turn the water into wine,_

_and turn the party up full throttle!'_

 

 _Cat Noir whistled as the two dancers spun and threw fire into the ground, creating an explosion of white light and copper. He shielded his eyes against the worst of the glare and watched as Manon shot into the air, bending white fire around her to keep aloft. He gasped in wonder at the sight, eyes wide in surprise and wonder._ She did it, _he realized, turning to look at Ladybug. He wasn't sure just_ how _she did it, but Manon's soul self was completely restored. Ladybug caught his look and turned to face him, "What now?"_

_"What is this?" he asked. "We just established you couldn't bend the elements in the spirit world without being physically present."_

_"This is a memory and one that Manon obviously treasures," Ladybug answered with a smile._

_Cat Noir blinked and turned to look at the dancing scene again. When he turned to look at Ladybug again, she disappeared. "Ladybug?!" He shot to his feet and looked around wildly. "Where are you?"_

_"Enjoy your dream, kitten." Her voice was so close to his ear... as if she were directly beside him. He blinked rapidly, the vision falling away._

* * *

Cat Noir blinked heavily, trying to clear the fog in his head. All he saw was blue and felt a warmth on his cheek. "No, don't get up right away, we've been in there for a long time. Take your time."

"Ladybug?" he slurred, closing his eyes.

"Just sit back and rest. Enjoy the dream, Avatar. You'll be safe here when you wake up."

"Butican't...sleep...h _eeree_..." he slurred. His ears twitched as soft, warm humming filled his hearing. "Ladybug... I have...questions."

"But you're so sleepy," Ladybug gently eased his head back. "You can ask them later. Rest, kitten." The humming rose and fell like a lullaby, and he felt Ladybug gently combing her fingers through his long blond hair. His body instantly went slack under the attention, and he began to purr contentedly. "You're tired," she whispered.

"I'mnot...n _urrmallly,_ " he told her.

"Sleep, Cat Noir."

A scratch to one of his black ears and all will to fight the exhaustion left the Avatar. "Mm'kay. G'night."

"Sweet dreams, Avatar." He felt warm on his cheek before he drifted back into his dreams. Only this time, they held a certain blue-eyed bender that bent both water and fire around them as they danced together.

* * *

"Kit... Kit... Cat Noir!  _Adrien!"_ Cat snapped awake with a gasp and fell off the bench he had been slouched over. Plagg only stared in amusement at his charge, waiting until he gained enough of his bearings to sit up. "Have a nice nap?"

"Yeah, it was great until you--" His ears snapped to attention and he whipped around clumsily. "Where is she?!"

"Who?"

"Ladybug! She was just here!"

Plagg watched as Cat Noir got to his feet and began searching the temple of the red heroine. "If her scent is any indication, she's been gone for at least two hours," the black lioneagle told him. "I came looking for you when you didn't come back by midnight."

Cat Noir paused in his search and raked both hands through his hair, mind scrambling. "I've been out for two hours? That can't be right--it's never happened before. I mean, sure I'm worn out when I go into the spirit world but never to the point of passing out!"

Plagg offered no comment but waited until the blond was done with his search and sat down petulantly on the bench. "What were you doing in the spirit world?" Cat's ears immediately flattened, recalling the mob and their flight across the Fire Nation. When he got to his story about his journey with Ladybug into Manon's spirit, he faltered. Details were blurry... some felt like they were missing. Plagg noticed this, "What is it?"

"I don't... I don't know. Ladybug said something... like 'Enjoy your dream.' And that's it, that's all I remember."

Plagg suddenly roared out in laughter, falling over. "She put you out! What, did she sing you to sleep like a kitten?" Cat Noir blushed harder, glaring at his familiar when Plagg roared louder.  _"She did!"_

"Shut up!" he snapped. Suddenly, he realized another detail, "Where's Manon?"

"If I had any guess, I would say Ladybug followed her normal protocol and took her to a safe place."

"But Manon  _knows_ Ladybug! They traveled together with the Dancing Dragon Troupe... how am I going to find her now?" he groaned. He put his head between his knees, a headache beginning to start from behind his eyelids. "I had her right here and she slipped through my fingers."

"She is tricky. I guess she really is an airbender after all."

Cat Noir huffed softly, "An airbender that can't airbend well." After a moment, he got to his feet and glanced outside. Dawn was already beginning to paint the horizon in pale blue and gold. He had a determined look on his face that Plagg has only seen a pawful of times. "Marinette is somehow connected in all of this."

"What makes you think so?"

Cat shook his head, "I don't know... but I'm going to go see her. Now."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song for this chapter is Nil Se'n La by Celtic Women! Another awesome group that I think you guys will enjoy if you like Celtic music as much as I do *wink*
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsewvO75Mgw
> 
> Side note: I don't own their group or their music... I just take inspiration from it. If I did own such wonderful music, I wouldn't be a broke student... I'd be a wealthy student! *strikes a pose*
> 
> HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
> 
> And SURPRISE! Enjoy this extended chapter of Avatar: The First Balance. I will be replying to comments intermittently but I wanted to give you guys a treat while I go through my exams.
> 
> I thoroughly enjoy the discussions that pop up in them. (Yes, I am binge watching the whole series *again* )
> 
> Until next chapter!  
> -Kestra EchoWolf
> 
> (Yes... Chapter 5 is in Drafting already)


	5. Finding Ladybug

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After years of secrecy, Marinette tells the tale of Ladybug's Origin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I HONESTLY wasn't planning on writing out the chapter like this... but after gods know how many drafts THIS IS WHAT CAME OUT

_It would be difficult for Marinette to describe what she dreamed of, especially when particular visions repeated like this one._

_There was a... a being, she called it, that was made of pure white light, fire, and heat. There was a second, made of darkness, cold and what felt like black ice. At first, all she could see was light and shadow as they danced around each other. In her mind, she imagined Tui and La, the great Guardians of the Water Tribes and their lessons of push and pull. This dance reminded her very much of their patterns in the pools._

_Then the pair would change, becoming ribbons of light and darkness; more tangible and shaped to where she could make distinctions between the pair. In some of the dance, they appeared to fight. They wound around each other, clashing, twining and holding one another as if unwilling to let the other gain the upper hand. Then the air would change, and their dance would continue._

_Some voice inside her heart told her 'watch and learn.' That voice sounded strangely like her merdragon, Tikki. However, Marinette had little time to dwell and decipher how she knew the voice as the two energies began to wind around in the world. Colors bloomed around the white being, now becoming more human shaped, while ash and shadow followed behind the black being._

_Creation._

_Destruction._

_Marinette understood this as she saw it happen before her eyes. In a flash, she watched as pieces of the world were shaped, thrived and destroyed only to be replaced with newer ones. Forests flourished, then burned and then returned. Cities, like the old Air Nomad Temples that rose gracefully into the sky, became painted with innocent blood and fell into decay. In the blink of an eye, she saw new airbenders restoring their ancestral homes to their former glory._

_In the dream, she watched different Avatars from different times, races and families rise to power. She watched as their enemies, both human and spirit alike rose up against the Avatars._

_'Watch... see.'_

_The visions slowed and somehow began to repeat in a flurry of colors and lights. Marinette watched as tendrils around each animal, human, and spirit, began to rise from their bodies. Most were a mix of the white being and the dark being. Some humans had more white in them than dark... others were the opposite._

_This also made sense to Marinette. Some people created and others who destroyed._

_It was then she began to notice a new pattern when she watched the Avatars and their adversaries... the white light of the creation being almost entirely surrounded the Avatar while their enemies were shrouded in darkness._

_'Balance.'_

_Marinette furrowed her brow as the word pushed into her mind and echoed like a sudden crash of thunder._

_She blinked again and found herself standing before a familiar image; Avatar Korra. The past Avatar opened her mouth to say something, but shadow and light spilled from her lips with every word. Suddenly, her blue eyes widened, and she put a hand to her throat as if she were choking. Marinette's instincts kicked in and she rushed forward to help. She screamed as she fell through a hole in the ground she hadn't seen... and plunged into darkness._

* * *

Marinette's eyes snapped open just in time to react and catch herself before she hit the floor. Tikki's head jerked up in sleepy surprise, "Are you alright?"

The blue eyed bender glanced upwards to ensure she hadn't woken Manon. The white firebender child didn't even stir. Marinette sighed softly in relief, "Yes, I was dreaming and fell out of the chair. Go back to sleep, Tik." Tikki chirped softly before resettling into her coils. Marinette slowly got up, her muscles protesting the movement intensely. She winced as some of the bones in her back popped back into place. It had been nearly two in the morning when she returned with Manon from Avatar Roku's temple. The run had been hard with carrying her charge piggyback and trying to move as silently as a shadow.

The blue-eyed bender looked out her window and saw that the stars were slowly beginning to fade.  _Dawn's breaking... I better get up now,_ she decided.

Shaking away her memories, Marinette carefully checked Manon's bandages and temperature. When she was satisfied with her charge's state, she quietly picked up her fallen blue shawl and slipped out of her bedroom, closing the door behind her before making her way down the stairs to her kitchen.

With a flick of her wrist, she brought her stove to flame when a sharp, rapping knock rang from behind her. Thinking it was one of the palace guards, she turned and nearly screamed when she saw a pair of slitted emerald cat eyes glaring at her from the dark. "Marinette, let me in!"

Marinette froze, shocked to see him there. She must've hesitated too long when Cat tried to slide open her glass door himself and failed, the latch firmly in place. His eyes snapped up at her, and he pointed to the lock, a warning in his gaze. She knew he would metalbend the lock open if she didn't open it on her own accord. Putting a hand to her thundering heart, she approached and unlocked the door to allow him entrance. "Avatar Cat Noir," she whispered. "To what do I owe--"

"Where is she?" Cat demanded ears flat against his head. His tail was lashing behind him as he inhaled the air inside. "I can smell her here. This whole hut is covered in it!"

"Who?! Avatar, please be quiet! I have a guest upstairs sleep-- No! Wait, Cat!  _Stop!"_ But the feline was already thundering up her stairs. Marinette raced after him, frantic. "Wait, you can't wake her! Please Avatar, she  _needs_ to sleep! I can explain--"

"Ladybug!" Cat hissed, pausing at the top of the landing. He sniffed the air, tracking her steps back and forth to the spare bedroom and her bathroom. "Where is she hiding?!"

"Ladybug?! Avatar Cat Noir, she's not here."

 _"Do not lie to me,_ Marinette." He spun around and caged her against the wall with his arms. "I  _hate_ liars above all else. I can smell Ladybug's scent everywhere in this place. Why is she hiding? Where is she?!"

"I swear she's not here," Marinette told him. Internally she was shocked at how calm she sounded while speaking. "I'm not lying, Cat Noir. I swear on my life!"

"Calm down kit," a second voice rumbled from the staircase. Cat Noir snapped around, seeing his lioneagle standing there. "You're making a racket."

"Indeed," a third voice chirped from a half-cracked third door. Marinette breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was only Tikki and  _not_ a rudely awakened Manon Dragon Dancer.

It took a moment before Cat Noir's whole face flushed red with shame and backed off enough for Marinette to peel away from her prison. "If... if Ladybug isn't here, then who is?"

Pulling her shawl closer around her body, Marinette put a finger to her lips and lead the Avatar to her bedroom and creaked the door further open. When he looked inside, he let out a small, gasping 'oh' before shutting the door again. Tikki scrambled out of the way and clawed her way up Marinette's shawl and nestle close to her neck with a gentle purr. Marinette gently stroked a finger down her merdragon's scales before motioning to both lioneagle and Avatar, "Kitchen."

Both obeyed without a sound and waited until she entered herself. "I'm sorry," Cat finally spoke up, raking a hand through his long blond hair. "I woke up about a half hour ago, and I've been tracking Ladybug's scent... it's no excuse for the intrusion; I apologize." He bowed low from the waist, eyes closed and face to the ground. Marinette took a moment to take him in, knowing the level of trust he was showing her.

"I forgive you, but please do keep your voice- _voices_ down. Manon needs to sleep, and I want to ensure her health won't be jeopardized."

"She's still healing?" Cat asked, straightening out of his bow. "I thought that Ladybug--"

"Ladybug healed her bending, Avatar, but not her body. She did what she could here and then left her in my care. Please sit, you look ready to fall over." He took the invitation without question, but Marinette could see his eyes were bright and alert.  _What happened to him? People are usually out cold till noon after I put them under like that._ Twisting her shawl nervously, she turned her attention to the lioneagle. "Can I get you anything?"

"Cheese."

Marinette blinked, "Cheese?"

The lioneagle returned the look. "Camembert."

"I'm afraid I don't keep that in my house. But I can make you some cheese bread if you want?"

"That'll do."

"Please forgive Plagg's bad manners. His mother dropped him on his head when he was a kitten," Cat Noir told her after watching the exchange. Marinette thought he was serious for a moment before catching the twitch in the corner of his mouth. She offered a small smile of her own and an 'oh I see' before moving about to get what she needed.

"Tikki? Cookies as usual?"

"Please," the merdragon answered, curling around Marinette's neck like a heavily jeweled choker.

"Avatar?"

"Hmm?"

"Would you like breakfast?"

His ears shot up as his stomach rumbled in agreement. He blushed slightly, "Whatever you're having is fine."

"Croissants then... chocolate?" His pupils widened at the promise of sweets, then told her they were his favorite. She smiled, "Mine too."

"Thank you."

Marinette busied herself, gathering flower, eggs, milk and such for her morning baking. She hummed softly, checking the temperature in the oven with a palm before bending the flame higher. After about ten minutes of mixing and folding, Cat Noir spoke up again. "Rough night?"

The firebender jumped. "Why do you ask?"

"Your flames keep dropping like you're tired. Was Manon or Ladybug keeping you up?"

Marinette glanced at the lioneagle, feeling his glowing green eyes pierce through her. Something in the back of her mind told her that this feline would rat out any lie she dared to speak. "It's an old stove," she told the Avatar.  _There, technically not a lie._ However, Plagg's eyes hardened in her direction. "I wasn't sleeping well to start with either. Manon's arrival surprised me too, so I guess I'm too wound up to sleep."  _There, also not a lie._

"Did Ladybug tell you about what happened to her?"

Marinette glanced up to meet his eyes briefly before returning to the dough. "Yes, she did."

"Did she say what she was going to do?"

"I don't think she knows yet, and if she does she didn't say anything." She licked her dry lips, trying not to let her nerves show. They fell into silence as she worked, rolling out pastry dough or placing cookie dough on a baking sheet. The silence, despite her work, was unbearable. "So you met Ladybug."

"I did."

"What do you think of her?"

Cat was silent for a moment before answering, "Her airbending needs a lot of work. It's like she's not skilled at all with the element she was born with."

"Heh... yeah, it's always been that way," Marinette chuckled and then stopped.

"That confirms one of my theories then. How do you know Ladybug, Marinette?" Cat asked, his chair squeaking loudly as he sat back. Marinette chanced a glance in his direction. His brows were pinched overtop of his green, masked eyes. His lips were tilted to one side in a half smirk, and his hands were tucked under his chin in a vision of pure curiosity. His tail, though... his tail twitched very slowly behind him. She recognized a cat about to pounce. "You two are clearly very familiar with each other if she comes here regularly."

"What makes you think-- oh right," she stopped her question when the Avatar tapped his nose. She sat down at the table across from him, reaching up to stroke Tikki's scales nervously. "Ladybug and I... well, she found me."

Cat blinked, "She found you?"

Marinette nodded, "I've been traveling for the last seven years or so. About two years ago, I wound up in the Earth Kingdom. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and wound up somewhere in one of the lower rings of the capital city. Then I got wind that some children were missing from the area. I got nosy, so I decided to do some tracking there; maybe make some extra money if I got lucky. The firebender child slaver found me instead. I wasn't watching my surroundings, and he thought I would make an excellent addition to his sales roster." Cat's ears flattened slowly to his skull, listening intently as she continued her story. "Since he was another firebender, I challenged him to Agni Kai and won."

"Barely," Tikki voiced from her perch. Cat Noir's emerald eyes darted to the merdragon, who met his gaze steadily with her amethyst.

"Tikki just means that I have a few battle scars, that's all. The bender wasn't skilled in technique, but his instincts were pretty on point. That's how I meant Manon; she was one of the kids that got snatched. When I brought her back to her troupe, her mother thanked me by taking me on. We stayed together, and I helped pay my way through mending clothes or keeping an eye on the other gypsy kids." Cat's eyebrows furrowed and he pressed a hand to his temple.  _He probably has a headache,_ Marinette thought.  _He probably does since he woke up so early after I put him under._ "Head ache?"

"No... I remember... it's hard; it's like remembering a dream that I had a long time ago. When I was with Ladybug last night, we went into Manon's spirit realm. She said something to me that rings so closely with what you just said right now." His eyes slowly widened,  _"'Her dance troupe helped me.'_ That's what she said. And they took you in as thanks for rescuing Manon." His head snapped up to face the blue-eyed bender. "You said this was three years ago, right? Manon's what... twelve?" Marinette nodded slowly in confirmation. "So she was nine when she got picked up. You're... twenty?"

Marinette whispered her answer, "Twenty-four."

"So you were twenty-one... too old for a child slaver to take and sell without someone noticing, and yet he saw something profitable in you." Marinette struggled not to squirm under his piercing gaze. Suddenly, his eyes widened even further. "My dream... Marinette, can you waterbend?" Blue eyes fell shut and Marinette turned her face away as if ashamed. Cat's lips parted in shock, "You can... can't you... and airbend?"

 _He hates liars,_ she thought. Getting up, she walked to her sliding glass door and went out to her back garden. She waited until she heard the Avatar follow and stop at the doorway, looking out at her. Tikki chirped softly in question. Marinette gently removed her from her perch and set her on one of the potted plants close by.  _Am I really going to do this?_

_What choice do I have? It's clear he knows... or at least has an extremely strong suspicion._

_What good would it do to hide anymore?_

_What if he attacks you? Can you defend yourself from the true Avatar?_

_What would your mother say?_

_You can't leave Manon alone..._

_But I can't hide anymore..._

_Can't hide..._

_Can't hide..._

_So stop._

Marinette opened her eyes and then stretched out one hand. Water from a nearby pool instantly surged up and wrapped around her wrist in a figure-eight style before morphing into a sphere in the center of her palm. The sphere solidified into a solid ice crystal, glittering in the dawn light. She opened her other hand and sparked a flame, holding it strong until it grew and danced like a flower in her palm. She turned and faced the awestruck Avatar. "Yes, I can bend both water and fire..." she suddenly shut her eyes and slammed her bare foot into the ground. The force jarred her aching bones but the effect held true. Ripples of silver and white flowed out and covered everything in her immediate surroundings. Water sloshed inside the pool from her force but quickly stilled when she reached out and bent it smooth again. When the ripples flowed over the Avatar, she saw his luminescent green eyes staring back at her in the darkness. She opened her eyes, adjusting them to the light around her. She tossed the ice crystal to him and let the fire die in her hand. Gathering some of her remaining energy in her body, she brought her hands up from her waist up and above her head and spun on the ball of her foot, then airbended a twister around her body. The wind flew out in a frenzied, untamed pattern and quickly dissipated.

"That day with the slave trader... I lit a torch with firebending and then used the earthbending techniques to map my way. He saw me do it and attacked. The day I met Ladybug was the first day I ever used airbending to throw him into a dumpster five blocks away. I don't even remember doing it... but when the police asked me for a name, I told them it was Ladybug... and then disappeared with the Dancing Dragon Troupe." Cat Noir gaped at her openly. As the cherry on top of her story, she asked, "So... did you have a nice dream, kitten?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be updating the tags later to bring the story's progress up to date.
> 
> So... *claps hands nervously* Fexperts and fans... too early for the reveal? Honestly, I wasn't planning on a reveal this soon. But again, this was the only way the characters would work for me.
> 
> I tried progressing the story by another few days but it just wouldn't flow right. And with Cat being as non-oblivious as he is in this AU, I couldn't let it go.
> 
> Now I would like to pose a question to my fans: Why do you think Cat's memory remains (mostly) unaltered from Ladybug's work? (Yes there will be a few blanks or foggy memories but other than that, he's intact) ;)
> 
> ALSO! Since this seems to be a thing: Here's my Tumblr: http://kestraechowolf.tumblr.com/
> 
> Not only will I be posting updates to Avatar and other various FF projects, but I will also be posting up original written content from a 12 year (Sweet baby Jesus is it really that old???) project that I'm in the final stages of creating. I would LOVE your input and to interact with you off site, answer questions, check out your art/writing etc...
> 
> See you in the chapters lovelies!  
> -Kestra


	6. Waking up to touch the sky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My most sincerest apologies for the late delay. This last year has turned me upside-down and around. I really don't have the energy to explain ALL that's happened honestly. Between two car accidents (not life threatening), school plans falling through, debts, health issues and 2 deaths in the family, my creativity has been extremely limited.
> 
> But I'm back and I hope this next chapter (maybe 2) will be a fitting gift for my readers. Thank you for being so patient.

_"So... did you have a nice dream kitten?"_

Adrien was still dreaming. That was the only logical explanation he would accept. He heard that question, in  _that_ voice and that was it. He didn't expect to be _right!_ Now all he remembers after that is darkness.

And a headache...

Like there was a tigerdillo that went rabid and scratched up the inside of his skull.

Images would come to him in flashes sometimes as they did when he dreamed. First, oddly enough, he saw Nino's concerned face and Princess Alya's.

_"Cat? Are you alright dude?"_

_"Is he okay?"_ That sounded like Princess Alya's voice.

 _"I think he's in shock,"_ Marinette spoke up.

Then images would swim in front of his eyes again, ranging from his hunts in the Earth Kingdom or the fishing village to meeting Ladybug for the first time and continuing his pursuit here in the Fire Nation. Somehow, Ladybug and Marinette came into one of his visions at the same time. At first, the two women didn't say anything. They sat in front of him quietly. Then their faces melded together and created a half Marinette half Ladybug Masked Marinette...

It was too much, and the darkness would come again.

Sometimes he would hear the fluttering of wings, like butterflies and would remember parts of his visions while with Ladybug in the spirit world.

Eventually, his mind began to question quietly. How was it possible? How did Marinette--Ladybug bend all of the elements like he could? Was she connected to the Avatar line as well? She had to be. Why did she come forward now when she had opportunities in the past to do it?

Similar questions began to buzz in his skull, and he groaned softly when some of them hit tender points. A cool hand pressed to his forehead and a sweet smell, like pastries, wafted into his nose.  _Pastries... Ladybug smelled like that, a little. I remember now; that's how I tracked her to Marinette's home._

_And when I got there, and Marinette said she had a guest..._

He remembered his flash of jealousy. He questioned himself  _how_ that was possible; why would he feel upset that this woman, who he never met before, had a mysterious guest in her house?

He remembered how tired she looked.  _She must've been traveling so long with her secret; I hope she felt better telling me. I would never betray her trust._

* * *

**(A few days later)**

_What's that knocking sound?_ Adrien opened his eyes slowly and looked around.  _Where am I?_ His eyes flicked slowly around, taking in his surroundings. Plagg raised his head from a sofa nearby, seeing him stir. The Avatar pulled in a breath into his lungs,  _the palace. What happened? The last thing I remember was Marinette..._

The knocking was soft, but more insistent this time. Adrien sat up and rubbed his eyes tiredly. The headache was mostly gone now, but it still lingered somewhere in the recesses of his mind. "Ah, so you are awake this time," Plagg murmured and put his head down on his paws. "Are you going to get that?"

Adrien looked at the door and heard the knocking start up again. "Nino?"

_Marinette!_

Instantly Adrien was out of bed and hurried to answer the door. He paused when he caught his reflection in a mirror. His cat eyes, ears, and tail were all gone, leaving him entirely human looking. He hesitated from answering, wondering if he should respond to the door as himself or as the Avatar. The knocking started again, more loudly this time.

"If you're thinking of shape-shifting, I wouldn't. You're still pretty out of it," Plagg told him without opening his eyes again.

Unable to argue, Adrien opened the door just as Marinette's knuckles came down to knock again. "Dammit Nino, open the doo--"

Both Avatar and bender froze in place.

Adrien didn't know what to do with himself. He had never seen Marinette out of uniform during his whole stay here at the palace. The garment she was wearing was definitely  _not_ a uniform. She was dressed in casual Fire Nation fashion. She wore a red halter tank top that showed off her creamy shoulders. It was fabric, which complemented her skin tone perfectly, had gold and yellow flame patterns stitched into the collar. A beaded belt, in the same design, he noticed, adorned her hips. She wore form-fitting, black slacks that were tucked into boots, black ones, with a subtle and feminine heel. His eyes trailed up her body again and found that her hair was up in the traditional Fire Nation top-knot. But her hair was so long that it trailed down her back like a midnight waterfall, then separated into two tails that hung to her shoulders, and then rejoined again into a braid that ended somewhere behind her. Adrien wondered, briefly, how long her hair actually was. Her bangs were pushed back with a simple bronze headband that reminded him immediately of a princess's crown. While the clothing was simple, he found that she looked beautiful.

Marinette, in return, was staring at him as if surprised. She wasn't speaking; he had to fix that. "Good morning, m'lady," he greeted with a tired smile.

"You're awake," she stated obviously, blushing red from the tops of her cheeks to the tips of her ears. Adrien instantly found it endearing, and his heartbeat skipped a few times as he watched it slowly color down her neck.  _Oh right! Talking! Stop staring you, idiot!_

"I heard you knocking."

Marinette's blush darkened, even more, and she swiftly thrust the two teacups into his palms. "I just remembered--I need-t-todaygo ah! Go--gotta-go-bye!" And she disappeared in a whirl, racing down the polished marble halls and disappearing from his sight.

Adrien, dumbstruck by the sudden departure, closed the door slowly with a click and turned around. He couldn't get past how good Marinette looked in red. He glanced down at the two cups; one was green and the other sky blue. A quick sniff to each and he realized one was Nino's favorite, jasmine with a touch of honey. He smiled softly. _I_ _t's sweet for her to bring us tea,_ he thought and sipped from the blue one. It was warm, mildly spiced with a hint of cinnamon. Whatever tea it was, it was delicious, and he took a deep gulp of it. He turned to Plagg, "How long was I out?"

The black lioneagle opened one eye and followed the Avatar as he sat down again. "Three days."

Adrien blinked, and his jaw dropped. "What..."

"Well, let's think here. You've been going how long with little sleep? You barely rested when we got here to the palace. You chased after Ladybug  _and_ found her  _and_ went for a trip into the spirit world... when was the last time you ate?"

"Uh..." Adrien paused.

"Congratulations, you found your dream girl. And you fainted like a princess when she told you the truth. Honestly, I thought she was going to hold that secret longer than what she did. I guess the myths about my kin are true," Plagg inspected his claws.

_"You knew?!"_

"I had an extreme suspicion," the lioneagle corrected and met Adrien's eyes. "A trait that you and I both share it seems. It doesn't surprise me since I'm your familiar."

"Dude, you're awake! How's the headache?" Nino appeared from his bedroom door; half dressed and hair a mess. His glasses were askew, but they were perched enough to where he could see where he was going.

"Better, how did you know I had a headache?"

The dark-skinned earthbender arched an eyebrow at him, "Dude... it was all you talked about when you were out of it. That and Mari's name came up a lot. She began to worry you had a fever. I bet she's happy to see you're awake. Is she in the bathroom or something?"

_I do remember feeling as if I was on fire. Wait! Mari!?_

Adrien sat up, "How did you know Marinette was here?"

Nino blinked and then pointed to the two teacups in the Avatar's hands. "Bro, that's her teacup."

Adrien tried  _very hard_ not to blush at his incorrect assumption as he subtly put the blue cup down on the table. However, something inside him stirred; he wasn't sure exactly  _what_ it was. He took in his best friend carefully and noted his physique, height, and appearance. He was lithely built, like Adrien, but darkly tanned from working out on his family's farm for so long. He was reasonably good-looking, if Adrien was honest, and seeing Marinette beside him... they did make a handsome pair. He glanced at the green teacup as he handed it to Nino, unable to entirely ignore the flash of irritation as the earthbender took a sip and hummed in delight. "She's the only one to get the honey right on the first try."

_Bite. Your. Tongue. Agreste._

"Do you always greet her like this?" the question was out before Adrien could stop himself.

Nino blinked, "How?" The Avatar's poignant green eyes flicked up and down subtly at Nino's appearance, prompting the earthbender to look down. "In my pj's? Mari never said anything about them. Why? What did she say about you?"

"What do you mean?"

This time, Nino smirked at him and laughed, "Dude."

"What?"

This time, Nino barely concealed a snicker. "Go take a look at yourself."

Unsure of what the earthbender meant, Adrien got up a second time and walked to the full-length mirror beside the bed. His face looked normal, and his hair was naturally a bed-head mess. He looked down and realized what Nino was implying. Pale cheeks flushed crimson red, and he whipped around and glared at his lioneagle.  _"Plagg!"_

Plagg's innocent face and Nino's raucous laughter only added the sting to the truth: he answered the door in his underwear.

* * *

"You're here early," Alya announced in surprise. "Lately you've with the Avatar about now."

"He's awake," Marinette answered merely, keeping her eyes on Manon as she held still for one of the palace physicians.

The Princess's amber eyes widened, "And you're not at his side? Or is there another doctor looking at him now?" The blue-eyed bender shrugged and did not explain this time. However, her charge would not accept the answer. "Marinette, did something happen?"

 _Something most definitely did happen. I saw the Avatar in his fucking underwear!_ Marinette's mind less-than-helpfully supplied. She blushed again, remember seeing his surprised, yet sweet, sleepy face... his broad, tanned shoulders and...  _No! Bad Marinette!_ She gave her head a quick shake to bring herself back to the present. However, Alya had caught the nervous tick before it could be hidden.

"Something did happen. Did he make you uncomfortable?"

"It's not like that. I just... caught him at an inopportune moment," Marinette supplied, a new light pink blush coloring her cheeks.

This time both of Alya's eyebrows went up. "That's quite a word choice. What did he do, answer the door in his underwear?" Her friend's blush darkened, and she closed her eyes. Alya shrieked with laughter. "He  _did?!"_

"Alya please!" Marinette's buried her face in her hands to hide as Manon, and the doctor looked their way. "You're making a scene!"

"But your face is  _priceless!"_  

"I'm not talking about this."

"What? Oh, come on Mari. So you saw him in his underwear, big deal! Unless... he is a  _big deal._ _Are you blushing?!_ Is he that hot?"

"Alya," Marinette hissed, putting a hand over her friend's mouth to silence her questioning. Her cheeks burned now crimson with embarrassment, "Not the time, or the place."

The princess's eyes flashed to Manon, who was watching her with rapt interest. However, her lips did curl up in a smile that promised that questions  _would_ be asked at a later time. Marinette withdrew her hand and walked over to her young charge and the palace doctor, Andrea Bustier. "What do you think?"

Andrea turned to the guard and took off her gloves. "Her wounds are healing faster than I originally projected. I still think she should rest the remainder of the week before attempting any fire dancing. Other than that, she's fit for travel."

"I can go home?" Manon asked, hazel eyes gleaming with hope. "Can Marinette come with me?"

"You didn't think I was going to just send you off on your own, did you?" Marinette teased gently and tapped the girl's nose. Manon giggled and hugged Marinette tightly.

"I can't wait to see mommy and daddy," she confessed softly.

Marinette and Alya shared a look. "Well, I don't see any reason for you to wait a day longer," Marinette announced. "Why don't you go to the dining hall and I'll go pack our things."

"Really?"

"Yes."

_"Yay!"_

The younger bender took off out of the medical wing and ran out of sight. Alya turned slowly to her best friend with raised eyebrows. "Seriously? You're going to go... just like that?"

"Manon's family will be worried about her," Marinette reasoned, pulling her hair around to fiddle with the tail of her braid. "I sent a letter two days ago letting them know where she was and that I'd bring her to them."

"But that doesn't mean you have to leave  _today_ do you?" Marinette didn't respond. Alya's shoulders tightened, and she grabbed her friend's hand to pull her away from prying ears. "Did something else happen?" she asked in a whisper.

Marinette worried her bottom lip with her teeth, "He..." she sighed softly. "He knows, Alya."

"He? Who knows?" Alya asked. Marinette's blue eyes met Alya's golden ones. Instantly, the firebender princess knew and gasped softly. "You mean the Avatar? He knows  _knows_ , or you think he knows?" she asked for clarification.

"Oh, he knows  _knows,"_ Marinette told her.

"How did he take it?" Alya asked. "If he so much as raises a  _finger_ against you, Marinette, I swear on my honor as a Princess, he will rue the day he does!"

Marinette smiled tenderly and hugged her best friend. "Don't put the nation's relationship with the Avatar in jeopardy for me, Als. I promise I can take care of myself. I honestly think that... leaving today would be for the better."

"Then I'm coming with you."

"Alya," Marinette groaned, holding her at arm's length.

"Nope, no arguments," Alya dismissed. "You need someone you can trust to watch your back in case Hawkmoth tries something, and that person will be me."

"You're the  _crown princess,"_ Marinette stressed through clenched teeth.

"And you're my personal guard. You watch my back all the time, so now I can watch yours. Come on, Mari... you're like one of my sisters." 

Blue eyes clashed with amber in a silent battle of wills. Inhaling, Marinette finally dropped her eyes and nodded. "Okay. Pack light, like for a long camping trip. Remember when we camped with the Dragon Batallion for a month?" The princess nodded. "Like that. There are going to be more times we camp than we stay in hotels. If I know Hawkmoth, he'll be sniffing for Manon. The sooner I get her back safely to her family and undetected, the better."

"Do you think he'll try to reakumatize her? Can he do that?"

"I'd rather assume he can and will try, than not to."

"Good point," Alya nodded. "I'll go pack and meet you at the front gate."

* * *

_Back at Marinette's cottage_

* * *

"Do you think this is wise?" Tikki asked, watching as Marinette packed her belongings into two familiar satchels.

"I think what is wise?" Marinette asked, looking to her spirit guide for clarification.

"Running away again. Do you think that running away is wise?"

"I'm not running. I'm not!" Marinette flinched under the merdragon's piercing gaze. "Okay... maybe I am... a little."

"I appreciate the honesty," Tikki stated, taking another bite of her cookie. "Are you that scared of him?"

Marinette's grip on the clothing slacked some, "Some. I never thought I'd crack like that. I'd rather ask forgiveness than permission."

Tikki's head snapped up, "You can't keep running away from destiny, Marinette. You can't help what you are, but you can help  _who_ you become. Is being an Avatar really so terrible?"

"But I'm  _not_ the Avatar! I don't know what I am other than a freak of nature, Tik."

The merdragon trilled indignantly and opened her mouth to respond when a sharp knock rapped from Marinette's front door. The blue-eyed bender lifted her head in surprise. "That must be Manon.  _The door's open Manon!"_ she shouted. A few seconds later, the knocking rattled at the door again, obviously insistant. Marinette frowned, "Maybe it's Alya?" She metalbended her window latch open and flicked the panes open with a twist of her wrist. "I said the door's open!"

_BAM! BAM! BAM!_

Marinette bristled in irritation. She buckled the two bags and picked Tikki up from her perch to drape around her shoulders. She raced hotly down the steps, muttering curses about impatient children. "I swear that child only hears what she wants sometimes.  _I'M COMING!"_ she shouted and wrenched open the front door.

Only to come face to face with the Avatar himself. Marinette's face immediately flushed a rosy pink. "A-Avatar Cat Noir," she squeaked. "Ah... what-what are you doing here?"

"I heard that you were going to be taking Manon Dragon Dancer back to her troupe today. What kind of Avatar would I be if I didn't offer the famous Ladybug a lift?" his lips curled into a smile.

"Marinette!" The raven-haired bender's gaze lifted over Adrien's shoulder to see two flying bison, saddled and ready, standing outside her garden wall. Manon waved excitedly from one of them. Then she spotted a smirking Alya. The princess simply waved her fingers, not bothering to hide the fact that she obviously had a hand in the Avatar's sudden appearance. "Come on, Marinette! This is the first time I get to ride a flying bison. The sooner we get in the air, the faster I can get back to my troupe!"

Marinette opened her mouth to protest, to say  _anything_ that would excuse her from traveling with the Avatar, _bison back,_ but nothing came out. "I... I--"

"I think we got off on the wrong foot," Adrien quickly cut her off. He held out his hand, "I'm Adrien; the Avatar."

Marinette glanced at his hand before hesitantly taking it. "Marinette, Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

"It's wonderful to finally meet you, Marinette," Adrien's grin widened. "Well, let's get going," he turned, pulling the blue-eyed bender after him.

"Wait! A-Adrien, I appreciate the thought. I do! But we'll do fine on the ground--"

"Nonsense. We'll cut the travel time in half if we go by air," Adrien told her. He turned and scooped her up into his arms and airbent himself up and into the saddle in the same move. "Trust me, Marinette, I guarantee you'll love it. Tzipporah, yip-yip!" he snapped the reigns and instantly the bison rose gracefully into the air.

 _"Adrien!"_ Marinette gasped, snapping her eyes shut. "Put me down! Put me back on the ground right now! I'm going to fall, seriously! I suck at Airbending if you haven't forgotten.  _Please!"_

"Easy Marinette," Adrien soothed, gently maneuvering her so that she sat behind him and wrapped her arms around his middle. "You're not going to fall. See? Tzipporah and I have been flying together practically since we were born. Nothing bad is going to happen. Come on; you're missing the view!"

"No way!"

"Mari, open your eyes!" Manon's voice reached Marinette's ears. "We're  _flying!_ Isn't it amazing? The everyone looks so small from up here."

Marinette felt something wrap around her waist and only dared to open her eyes to peek. She blinked them wider when she realized that a furry cord was wrapped around her, keeping her firmly in place. No... not a cord, a tail! She looked up and saw Adrien's emerald eyes had changed to cat-slitted pupils in jade. He smiled, "I won't let you fall, Marinette. Go on, look."

Marinette's cheeks turned pink, though she'd blame it on the cold air rushing past if ever asked. She took a breath and chanced a look around. Instantly her breath rushed out of her lungs in awe. Never had she seen the world from the sky before! The whole landscape appeared to be something out of a painting in a Republic City museum. She saw green forests stretching far and wide and out to the sea, and the imperial palace extending proudly upwards at the top of the capital. The sky was littered with puffy clouds that danced around the multi-hued blue sky! She could see dragonflies and lionvultures in the distance, circling lazily about as they sought their next meals.

"Wow," she breathed at last, loosening her grip around the Avatar. Adrien grinned, putting a hand overtop his passenger's. Despite the rushing wind, he felt... warm.

"I told you that you'd love it up here." Marinette turned her blue eyes to him and he gazed deeply into them. It was then he knew she didn't feel the cold either. A tender smile pulled at his lips, "We have a lot to talk about, my lady."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come check out [my FB page](https://www.facebook.com/KestraEchoWolf/) for the latest updates and to get in contact with me! Send me one shot prompt requests via PM! Anything to keep the creative juices flowing ;) 
> 
> I don't always check my Tumblr lol... you can also find me on [Twitter!](https://twitter.com/KestraEchoWolf/)
> 
> Feel free to let me know what you think in the comments below :)


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